BENTONVILLE, Ark., March 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , announced today that it has named J.P. Suarez its senior vice president and chief compliance officer for its U.S. operations. He will lead a compliance team that centralizes the retailer's current environmental, privacy, immigration and operational compliance functions, in addition to asset protection for all U.S. divisions, including Wal-Mart Stores, SAM'S CLUB and Logistics.
Suarez most recently served as senior vice president of asset protection and compliance for Wal-Mart Stores Division. In his new role, he will report to Wal-Mart Vice Chairman John Menzer.
"We are always working to improve our operations," Menzer said. "By centralizing our compliance efforts, we will make the most efficient use of our resources and share ideas and practices across the company. J.P.'s distinguished background in law enforcement and compliance will be invaluable in this role."
Suarez joined Wal-Mart in January 2004 as vice president and general counsel for the company's SAM'S CLUB division, where his responsibilities included ensuring compliance with regulatory obligations such as OSHA, environmental, and food safety issues and managing operations, employment, merchandise and marketing issues.
Before joining Wal-Mart, he was the assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, responsible for directing the nation's environmental enforcement efforts. He also has served as a federal and state prosecutor and was the chief enforcement officer for New Jersey's gaming industry.
Suarez graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was an articles editor for the law review. He completed his undergraduate studies at Tufts University with a bachelor's degree in English and drama with honors in both majors.
About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM'S CLUB locations in the United States. The company also operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The company's securities are listed on the New York and Pacific stock exchanges under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting http://www.walmartfacts.com/ . Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com/ and http://www.samsclub.com/ .
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