Forty Under 40: Charles Robert Redfield

Charles Redfield will feel some nostalgia when the Springdale Sam’s Club closes this fall to make way for a new Washington County location along Interstate 540 in Fayetteville.

The Bentonville native and 1989 University of Arkansas alumnus began his Wal-Mart career at age 19 as a part-time cashier at the Springdale Sam’s while pursuing his degree in administrative management.

By age 26, Redfield was the Springdale Sam’s manager and he ran the store from 1992-93. Before a two-year stint as a district manager for Hudson’s Bay in Canada from 1998-99, Redfield spent years traveling around the country working in various management capacities at Sam’s Club.

He returned to Sam’s and manned the fresh operations position before spending the next five years as a divisional merchandise manager.

His background was in operations, but knowing what is executable and what is appealing from his years as a store manager made him a natural fit to lead merchandising, though he didn’t know it when tapped to become an officer at the company at age 35.

Redfield’s advice to others is to be patient, be a sponge and be open to ideas other than your own.