Walmart Names BJ's Board Member to Chief People Officer Role

BJ’s Wholesale Club has revealed that Judy Werthauser resigned from its board of directors to pursue a new opportunity at Walmart U.S. Werthauser has been hired as chief people officer for the retail giant. 

Werthauser had served on the BJ’s board since November 2018 and was most recently chair of the compensation committee as well as a member of the nominating and corporate governance committee. In the wake of her departure, the board intends for Chris Peterson to join the compensation committee and for Ken Parent to be appointed chair of the compensation committee.

“Since joining our board over four years ago, Judy has brought a deep knowledge of omnichannel retail and building strong team member cultures, which have been critical drivers of our growth,” said Chris Baldwin, chairman of the board. “On behalf of our board and the BJ’s management team, we thank Judy for her leadership and guidance during her time with us. We wish her the best of luck in her future endeavor.”

Werthauser noted: “I joined the BJ’s board shortly after its initial public offering in 2018, and it has been an honor to have played a part in the company’s transformational growth over the years. I’d like to thank my fellow directors for their partnership, and I am confident in the BJ’s leadership team and its ability to deliver continued success in the years to come.”

The board intends to identify a new director in due course. It regularly evaluates the composition of its directors, striving for a proper combination of skillsets and diversity of experience and thought to successfully govern the company’s execution of its strategic priorities.

At Walmart, Werthauser will work closely with President and CEO John Furner and his leadership team. She will lead people priorities for the Walmart U.S. business segment, supporting associates in Walmart stores, distribution centers, fulfillment centers and campus offices. Werthauser joins Walmart from Philadelphia-based specialty discount chain Five Below, where she has been chief experience officer since 2019. She also spent seven years at Minneapolis-based Target Corp. in a variety of leadership roles. 

Marlborough, Mass.-based BJ's operates more than 230 clubs, 160-plus BJ’s Gas locations and seven distribution centers in 18 states. Each week, approximately 230 million customers and members visit Walmart’s more than 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites under 46 banners in 24 countries.