Forty Under 40: Jamie Sohosky

Grandparents can be persistent when it comes to seeing their grandchildren; Jamie Sohosky’s in-laws took it a step further.

From 1998-2006, Sohosky and her husband lived in London and had two sons while she worked in brand management, category marketing and strategy for Campbell Soup’s United Kingdom business.

While on vacation in Northwest Arkansas where her husband’s parents live, Sohosky got a call from Wal-Mart recruiting and found out she had an interview set up for that day after her father-in-law slipped the Bentonville retailer her resume.

“The rest was history,” Sohosky said. “It was the perfect opportunity to round out my career. Ten years ago if you told me I’d be working at the world’s largest company, I would have laughed.”

Sohosky’s passion is the customer experience from stepping on to the parking lot to the “moment of truth” when communication leads to a purchase.

“How they leave determines if they come back,” she said.

Through the international division, Sohosky, 37, describes herself as a “collaborative capitalist” with the operators of more than 50 Wal-Mart brands around the world.

“It’s really about being recognized for adding value,” she said of her motivation. “We stimulate thought and add new thinking to add value.”