Forty Under 40: Tom Hauge
by January 1, 2016 12:00 am 345 views
Tom Hauge (rhymes with “howdy”) is from the Seattle suburb of Kent, and growing up he worked for local retail giants Nordstrom and Eddie Bauer.
After graduating from the University of Washington in 1999 with a business administration degree, he did some marketing work in the architecture and engineering industry, but the retail bug never left.
“What drives me is the ability to engage and support others. You see that immediately in the retail space,” he explained. “So I thought, ‘Let’s head to the epicenter and give it a shot.’”
Hauge drove cross country and landed his first job in Northwest Arkansas in 2002, and since then has built a resume that’s strong on category management and retail expertise.
After working for several brands including Energizer, Eastman Outdoors and Bush Brothers, he took a job in 2013 as a shopper and category solutions director for Kendal King Group, a retail marketing agency based in Kansas City that supports Walmart suppliers from its Bentonville office.
Hauge was promoted earlier this year to his current role, supporting both Walmart and its suppliers to help them increase sales and shoppers.
A married father of three, Hauge has spoken to several retail-oriented groups in the area, including Doing Business in Bentonville.
Hauge is confident that philanthropy and giving back will play an increasing role in his life over the next 10 years. He is currently a board member for the nonprofit Open Avenues Foundation, as well as the Mercy Health Foundation, the fundraising arm of Mercy Health System Northwest Arkansas, which named Hauge as its Volunteer of the Year in 2015.