Forty Under 40: Hernan Muntaner, 38

Hernan Muntaner spent his first 36 years in Argentina, then hopped on a plane headed to America for an expatriate assignment for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
“Sometimes you have to close your eyes and take the risk,” he said.
It was a calculated risk, as Muntaner had years of Wal-Mart experience under his belt, but it’s not easy to move a family to a new continent. Muntaner laughed when asked the biggest adjustment they’ve faced.
“Everything,” he said before adding perhaps the biggest factor working in his favor. “There are some things in Wal-Mart’s DNA that are the same around the world.”
In other words, Muntaner has received plenty of personal and professional support. Both helped him reach his current position, in which he leverages the retailer’s global scale and purchasing power to drive everyday low costs. Wal-Mart International has more than 4,000 stores and 664,000 associates in 14 countries outside the U.S.
An avid music collector, Muntaner also plays soccer and fly-fishes.
“I practice catch-and-release,” he said. “I just haven’t gotten the catch part down yet.”
Regardless, Muntaner is as full of promise now as when he took his first job with Wal-Mart.
“The sky was the limit and that hasn’t changed,” he said. “It’s a journey and it’s getting better every day.”