The only surefire strategy for becoming a retail CEO is to start your own company and award yourself the title. The entrepreneurs are the true creators in the retail industry. They didn’t follow much of a career path at all. Instead they defined their own career, charted their own destination, and sketched out their own road map. Sam Walton of Wal-Mart was an entrepreneur almost from the start. Others, like James Sinegal of Costco, started down a traditional career path and made the entrepreneurial leap in mid-career. The career paths of these two retail legends show that it’s never too early or too late to appoint yourself as your own CEO.
The Career Path of Sam Walton, CEO, Wal-Mart
- Born in Kingfisher, OK
- Son of farmers
- Milked the family cow, bottled the milk and delivered it to customers
- Newspaper delivery
- Graduated from Hickman High School in Columbia, MO, (voted “most versatile boy”)
- Bachelor’s degree in economics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
- Waiter
- Lifeguard
- ROTC officer
- Management trainee, J.C. Penney
- DuPont munitions plant, Tulsa OK
- Security supervisor at aircraft plants and POW camps, US Army intelligence
- Purchased a Butler Brothers franchise retail store in Newport, AR
- Purchased another Butler Brothers store in 1950 in Bentonville, AR and called it Walton’s 5&10
- Sold the Newport Butler Brothers store ($50,000 profit)
- Purchased a non-franchised retail store in Fayeteville, AR
- Purchased larger stores and called them Walton’s Family Center
- Opened the first “Wal-Mart” in 1962
- Founder and CEO, Wal-Mart
The Career Path of James Sinegal, CEO, Costco
- Born in Pittsburgh, PA
- Son of a steelworker
- Graduated from Helix High School, Pittsburgh, PA
- A.A. degree, San Diego City College
- Enrolled in San Diego State University, did not graduate
- Mattress handler, Fed-Mart Corporation
- Bagger, Fed-Mart Corporation
- Store manager, Fed-Mart Corporation
- Vice president of merchandising and operations, , Fed-Mart Corporation
- Executive Vice President, Fed-Mart Corporation
- Vice President of Merchandising, Builders Emporium
- President, Sinegal/Chamberlin & Associates
- Executive vice president, Price Company
- Co-founder, president, and CEO, Costco Wholesale
Moving in the Right Direction in Your Retail Career
When 19,000 college graduates were asked by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) how they would choose a job, the class of 2008 respondents said their highest priority was finding a company that “provides the opportunity for advancement.” For those who want the highest possible advancement to the ultimate retail destination, the career paths of contemporary CEOs can serve as inspiration that many different routes are available. The journey will be easiest for those who are the most flexible, adaptable, and resourceful, especially when the next steps are not very clear. If you’re not exactly sure how you’ll “get there from here,” take a step that provides some type of learning or expansion. That’s one step that all rock star CEOs found to be a step in the right direction.
