National Vision Attends 2017 Walmart Shareholders’ Meeting

National Vision team at the Walmart Shareholders Meeting

Associates from National Vision Inc., who help manage 227 optical stores for Walmart under the name of the Vision Center, recently had the opportunity to attend the 2017 Walmart Shareholders’ Meeting held on June 2, 2017 in the Bud Walton Arena at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

CEO Reade Fahs, Senior Vice Presidents Michael Thomas and Debra Woyce, along with 21 other team associates attended this year’s event.

National Vision team at the Walmart Shareholders MeetingThe group also had the opportunity to tour Walmart’s hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas.  Their first stop was to the first store that Walmart founder Sam Walton established in the town, Walton’s Five and Dime, now the Walmart Museum. There they met Troy Almand, the first Walmart associate.

Our associates also visited the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, funded by Walton’s daughter, Alice.

A highlight of the trip was definitely a tour of the Walmart home office and optical lab.

National Vision team at Walmart Shareholders Meeting

Testimonials

Regional Vice President, Steve Cartier, says: “I had only heard about the culture at Walmart, but having seen it first-hand by attending the shareholder’s meeting, I can see why Walmart has grown to become one of the largest and greatest retailers of our time.”

 

Regional Vice President, Lisa Helvig, says: “Being able to attend the Walmart Shareholders’ Meeting this year, was even more special than the previous year.  Sharing and experiencing the event with the District Managers added to the excitement, especially in gaining an understanding of the future plans that Walmart has in place so they remain competitive in the ever changing retail environment.”
 

More About the Walmart Shareholders’ Meeting

According to Business Insider, the Walmart Shareholders’ Meeting is an annual meeting where thousands of Walmart employees from around the world travel to Bentonville, Arkansas for an event that includes first looks at how the retailer plans on keeping a competitive edge, tours of its premiere facilities and a concert featuring celebrity musicians.

The 14,000-person celebration started in 1970 when founder Sam Walton held his first shareholders meeting at a coffee shop table. Since 1994 the meeting has taken place at the Bud Walton Arena. Now, with more than 2 million Walmart employees, managers from stores around the world delegate associates to attend the annual meeting.

Business Insider also reports that all of the celebrities that serve either as guest hosts or performers during the event do so without compensation. Their representative companies all have strong relationships with Walmart, and the free appearances act as both promotion and acts of goodwill toward the retailer.

Jessica Altamirano

Jessica Altamirano

Communications Specialist at National Vision
Jessica Altamirano is a proud Veteran spouse who has worked for NVI since 2014. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from George Mason University. Jessica is passionate about corporate-nonprofit partnerships, philanthropic efforts in developing countries, Veteran recruitment, and creating a culture of health and wellness in the workplace.
Jessica Altamirano