Wal-Mart Stores executive Ben Hasan to deliver keynote address at Forty Under 40 event

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 966 views 

Wal-Mart Stores executive Ben Hasan will be the featured speaker at the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal‘s 21st annual Forty Under 40 event.

The luncheon will be held Aug. 22 at the Embassy Suites in Rogers. It is sponsored by Intrust Bank.

“I’m excited to help recognize some of our community’s emerging leaders; leadership is a process, and what got you to where you’re at today isn’t always what will keep you there or get you to the next level,” Hasan said. “Leaders must continually grow themselves while also looking for ways to use their influence and platform to help lift up others — that’s the secret to building a lasting legacy within your family, company and community.”

Hasan is the chief culture, diversity and inclusion officer for Wal-Mart, working to bring a more global perspective to the retail giant’s diversity efforts, with a focus on maintaining an inclusive workforce within the company.

He was appointed to the role in 2015. He joined the company in 2008, as senior vice president of strategic services for Walmart Technology.

Before joining Wal-Mart, Hasan worked at Dell Inc. for 11 years where he held several leadership positions in IT for teams in Texas, Shanghai, Taipei and Singapore. He also served as general manager for Dell’s IT development centers in Brazil and India. Prior to Dell, Hasan had a 14-year career with ENSERCH Corp., an oil and gas company based in Dallas. While there, he gained experience in several departments including IT, human resources, rates and regulatory affairs and customer service.

Hasan holds a master’s degree in business administration from Amber University in Dallas and a bachelor’s in business administration, with a concentration in computer science, from Temple University.

Ben Hasan

Beginning in 1997, the Business Journal has annually honored 40 outstanding professionals under the age of 40 who live and work in the six-county coverage area of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Sebastian and Crawford counties. They were nominated as best in class by their peers in all industries.

This year’s Forty Under 40 issue will be available on newsstands and online Monday, Aug. 21.

“We had more than 100 individuals nominated for this year’s class, which is the most broad and varied we’ve had in some time,” said Business Journal editor Paul Gatling. “Just looking at the pool of nominations already reads like a who’s who of Northwest Arkansas and the Fort Smith metro, but we can select only 40, and that will be no small task for our staff.

“I want to congratulate all our nominees, but also more importantly point out this isn’t a one-shot deal. If you nominated someone who isn’t selected this year, nominate them again next year.”

Corporate tables and advance tickets for the Forty Under 40 event are available by calling 479-725-0394, or by visiting NWABusinessJournal.com.