Forty Under 40: Evan Gaetano

Evan Gaetano was a hospitality management major at Florida International University in Miami when Walmart recruited him to intern for its grocery division.

“My dream was always to work for a Fortune 500 company,” he said. “When Walmart came recruiting, I was like, ‘OK, this is my chance to make it a reality.’”

The summer internship in Bentonville allowed him to apply his culinary and service background to the retailer’s largest segment. The following summer, the Ithaca, N.Y., native joined Walmart full time.

He started in business analytics in the grocery division. He was a replenishment manager for two years and was named to his existing role in February 2023.

He manages the site experience for produce on Walmart’s app and website and is responsible for digital sales. He works with merchants to determine what’s featured on the website and what will drive traffic and increase customers.

In September, he launched the American Farmers campaign on Walmart.com, telling stories of the more than 10,000 family farms across America with which the retailer works. New farmers and growers are featured monthly. He considers the campaign his career highlight.

Company leaders recently asked him to expand the campaign to include seafood, meat and other grocery departments. He’ll soon launch an American Ranchers campaign. For the American Farmers campaign, he’s received multiple company awards, including eCommerce Innovator of the Year.

He’s attending Harvard University for a master’s degree in management and aims to become a director in the grocery division.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he founded a leadership speaker series and interviewed company executives. This became the foundation for Walmart Young Professionals becoming an associate resource group at the home office.