BJ’s board member Judy Werthauser to become Walmart U.S. chief people officer

BJ’s Wholesale Club director Judy Werthauser has resigned from the company’s board and is joining Walmart U.S. as chief people officer.

Marlborough, Mass.-based BJ’s said late yesterday that its board “intends to identify a new director in due course.”

“Since joining our board over four years ago, Judy has brought a deep knowledge of omni-channel retail and building strong team member cultures, which have been critical drivers of our growth,” BJ’s Chairman Chris Baldwin said in a statement. “On behalf of our board and the BJ’s management team, we thank Judy for her leadership and guidance during her time with us. We wish her the best of luck in her future endeavor.”

Werthauser had served on the BJ’s board since November 2018 and most recently chaired of the compensation committee. She was chief people officer of pizza chain Domino’s when she joined BJ’s board and then in February 2019 moved to discount specialty retailer Five Below, where she was chief experience officer. Before that, she spent over seven years in human resources at Target, most recently as senior vice president, and previously served as senior VP in human resources at U.S. Bank and as VP of human resources at Marshall Field’s/Macy’s.

Judy Werthauser is slated to join Walmart U.S. as EVP and chief people officer on Feb. 6. / Photo: Walmart

“I joined the BJ’s board shortly after its initial public offering in 2018, and it has been an honor to have played a part in the company’s transformational growth over the years,” Werthauser commented. “I’d like to thank my fellow directors for their partnership, and I am confident in the BJ’s leadership team and its ability to deliver continued success in the years to come.”

Plans call for Werthauser to start as executive VP and chief people officer at Walmart U.S. on Feb. 6. She takes over from Julie Murphy, who served in the role for over five-and-a-half years and recently retired after over 37 years at Walmart.

Donna Morris, chief people officer for Walmart, announced the appointment yesterday in a memo to U.S.-based employees, adding that Werthauser be a key member of Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner’s leadership team and a “pivotal member” of the global people leadership team. Morris noted in the memo that Werthauser contributed to the growth of Five Below, nearly doubling its size from 750 locations to more than 1,300 over the past three years.

“After an extensive search, I am excited to welcome Judy Werthauser as executive vice president and chief people officer, Walmart U.S. She will oversee our people efforts for all associates in the Walmart U.S. segment within our stores, distribution centers, fulfillment centers and campus offices,” Morris stated. “In this role, she will lead the people strategy within Walmart U.S., focused on career growth and associate opportunity, prioritizing well-being, driving a culture of belonging and enhancing our digital ways of working. As the Walmart U.S. team works to exceed customer expectations, improve the Walmart experience and accelerate our digital expansion, Judy will be an invaluable partner and counselor to the business. Her expertise will benefit both our associates and our efforts to continue growing wallet share in the U.S.”

Reporting directly to Werthauser, Walmart said, will be Maren Waggoner (senior VP, End-to-End People), Eric Snieski (VP, people and product), Megan Taylor (VP, people customer and revenue growth), Trinh Lam (senior director, merchandising people) and Courtney Fisher (senior director, H&W people).