The Grocery Manufacturers Association said it will honor retired Walmart president and CEO Mike Duke with the 2014 GMA Hall of Achievement Award, the organization’s highest honor, at its Leadership Forum on Aug. 23.
“Mike is an exemplary leader whose integrity, dynamism and ingenuity have made our industry stronger and the lives of consumers better,” GMA president and CEO Pamela Bailey said in a statement.
Duke joined Walmart in 1995, and initially led the logistics, distribution and administration divisions, as well as Walmart U.S. In 2005, he assumed responsibility for its international arm, and also served as vice chairman. Duke served as president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores from 2009-2014. He is currently chairman of the executive committee of the Walmart board of directors.
Among the reasons he is being honored: he is credited with delivering strong financial performances, while making critical investments in technology and human resources to support Walmart’s global expansion, according to GMA.
Duke has also been a champion of the company’s efforts to address social and environmental issues. During his tenure, the company opened more than 220 stores in food deserts across the U.S.; launched the Great For You icon to help customers identify more nutritious foods; donated more than 1.58 billion pounds of food to local food banks; and pledged to source $20 billion in goods from women-owned businesses by 2016.
Duke has served on the board of directors of the Consumer Goods Forum and the executive committee of the Business Roundtable. He currently serves on the executive board of Conservation International’s Center for Environmental Leadership in Business and the board of advisors of the University of Arkansas and Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management in Beijing, China.
The GMA Leadership Forum will be held Aug. 22 to 24 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.
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