GMA to Honor Retired Walmart CEO Mike Duke with 2014 Hall of Achievement Award

Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) President and CEO Pamela G. Bailey announced that the association 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 at The Broadmoor. "Leaders in the consumer packaged goods industry are committed to making a difference in the everyday lives of consumers, but even among this accomplished group, the noteworthy innovations and far-reaching impact Mike Duke has had stand out," said Bailey.  "Mike is an exemplary leader whose integrity, dynamism and ingenuity have made our industry stronger and the lives of consumers better. It will be an honor for GMA to present him with the 2014 Hall of Achievement Award." Duke's tenure at Walmart began in 1995, and he quickly rose through the ranks, leading logistics, distribution and administration divisions. In 2005 he assumed responsibility for its international arm, and also served as vice chairman. Duke was named president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., in 2009, becoming just the fourth person to hold the position in the retailer's history. As CEO, he is credited with delivering strong financial performances while making critical investments in technology and human resources to support Walmart's global expansion. 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 quickly and easily identify more nutritious foods for their families, saved customers more than $3.5 billion on fresh fruits and vegetables, 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. Today, Duke serves as chairman of the executive committee of the Walmart board. Prior to joining Walmart, Duke gained 23 years of retail experience as an executive with Federated Department Stores and May Department Stores. Mr. Duke has served on the board of directors of the Consumer Goods Forum and the executive committee of the Business Roundtable. He currently sits on the executive board of Conservation International's Center for Environmental Leadership in Business and on 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 - 24, 2014 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  The Hall of Achievement Awards will be presented as part of the conference program on Saturday, Aug. 23.