Looking at the Long-term

Rob Trost hadn’t been farther west than Chattanooga, Tenn., when he accepted a job at Wal-Mart fresh out of Penn State University. Still, he found the retail giant’s offer more appealing than those closer to his East Coast roots.

“It was really about finding the opportunity that would be rewarding in the long-term,” Trost said, “and that was Wal-Mart.”

Trost has found an abundance of short-term rewards, too. He’s been a member of high-impact project teams from the get-go, including a supply-chain initiative that addressed the challenges of Black Friday.

“My job was essentially to develop a plan to manage that inventory that day,” Trost said.

That task had a certain “wow” factor, and sparked some anxiety, but Trost embraced it as a chance to prove himself.

“If that’s what you’re looking for, it’s there,” he said of Wal-Mart’s willingness to test up-and-comers.

Now Trost is working on a project that will make Wal-Mart’s replenishment system more efficient in every corner of the world.

“It’s a huge transformation … and will bring value not just to our customers,” he said, “but shareholders, too.”

Trost also has made more subtle contributions to Wal-Mart. He was instrumental in starting its New Professionals Advisory Council, a group designed to connect Wal-Mart associates to one another and the community.

“It’s a large company, but there are things you can do to shrink it,” Trost said.

If Trost seems determined to get the most out of his Wal-Mart family, it might stem from the tight-knit relationships he has with his biological one.

He’s eagerly anticipating a trip to Maryland to see his newborn nephew and counts his parents among his biggest influences.

Trost said his efforts have been welcomed, and that any preconceptions about his New Jersey background are greater than any he had about Arkansas.

“New Jersey is really like two different states. I lived in the southern half, where it’s a lot like living here.

“It’s the northern half that’s more like ‘Jersey Shore,'” Trost added with a laugh.