NWABJ Hosts Annual Forty Under 40 Event

Former Wal-Mart Stores Inc. president and CEO David Glass lauded this year’s class of Forty Under 40 honorees last month in Rogers.

But he also encouraged them to continue working hard and thinking big to achieve greatness.

“Sam Walton opened his first Wal-Mart when he was 41 and Harland Sanders began Kentucky Fried Chicken with his first Social Security check,” Glass said. “There’s still time to decide what you want to grow up and be and I would encourage that.”

The Northwest Arkansas Business Journal recognized its 15th class of honorees during a luncheon at the John Q. Hammons Center.

Glass, now the owner and CEO of the Kansas City Royals, was the keynote speaker before a crowd of about 400.

Glass spent 24 years at Wal-Mart and was the company’s CEO from 1988-2000, the second man to hold that position behind only Walton.

He spoke of leadership during his approximately 30-minute message, outlining a dozen qualities of an influential leader including trust, vision, a willingness to fail occasionally and having a sense of urgency.

Glass noted the age-old tenet of keeping things simple was “one of his favorites.”

“The Gettysburg Address is about [265] words, the Declaration of Independence is about 1,200 and the United States Tax Code is about eight million,” he joked. “That puts things in perspective and kind of proves my point.”

Friend and former colleague Don Soderquist, former Wal-Mart COO and founding executive of The Soderquist Center, introduced Glass to the stage.

The two men drew several laughs for their banter centered on Glass’ Royals and the Chicago Cubs, a lifelong favorite of Soderquist.

Soderquist later presented Glass with several items of Cubs merchandise, which he graciously accepted and then quipped, “Was it marked down?”

INTRUST Bank was the presenting sponsor for the luncheon and networking event.