NewRoad Capital Partners hires former Walmart exec Bob Arvin

Rogers firm NewRoad Capital Partners, Arkansas’ largest private equity fund, has hired Bob Arvin as a strategic advisor. According to a news release Thursday (Aug. 24), Arvin brings NewRoad’s roster to six operating partners and eight strategic advisors.

“I am excited to have Bob join our strategic advisor team,” NewRoad partner Tracy Black said in the release. “He will bring a fresh perspective to how we think about reverse logistics and the sustainability needs of the industry.”

NewRoad invests in high-growth supply chain and logistics, retail and marketing technology companies.

Arvin, a former divisional vice president of supply chain at Walmart, has over 45 years of leadership and supply chain experience. According to the release, he worked for Walmart for more than four decades. His work spanned strategy, engineering, building design, network design and operational responsibility for many of the retailer’s logistics functions.

Avin formed the first industrial engineering team at Walmart, which designed and installed many of the productivity-enhancing processes used in logistics today. His operations experience encompasses ambient and refrigerated distribution, grocery transportation, e-commerce fulfillment, apparel, shoe and jewelry operations, sustainability and customer returns.

He spent the past nine years redefining the returns model at Walmart to extract greater value from customer returns. He was influential in changing vendor agreements, improving store processes, and clarifying the cost of product returns to senior management. He also established electronic refurbishment programs and developed resale channels, including B2C websites, auction platforms, and B2B programs. Arvin also spearheaded the development of sustainability programs to divert plastics and other materials from landfills to new products in the returns channel. Arvin is a past board advisor to the Reverse Logistics Association.

“I am humbled to be joining the extremely talented group at NewRoad Capital,” Arvin said. “They are all recognized as industry leaders in their fields and bring exceptional experience, knowledge, and thought leadership in support of the NewRoad mission. It’s exciting to join such an accomplished team that adds value to both the management teams at portfolio companies and NewRoad Capital investors.”

Bob holds a master’s degree in operations management from the University of Arkansas, where he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Engineering in 2018. He also earned a BSOM, summa cum laude, from John Brown University.

“Bob brings decades of experience in implementing logistics solutions for Walmart, especially in reverse logistics — a sector of the supply chain that has expanded in complexity and scale faster than anticipated,” NewRoad partner Chris Ladd said. “We are highly focused on investing in this sub-sector and eagerly anticipate the expertise Bob will bring to the process.”