Mike Duke

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Quick facts

Family: Wife Susan, three adult children

Age: 63 (born December 1949)

Residence: Rogers, AR
Mike Duke has been CEO and President of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., since February 2009. Before he replaced Lee Scott as CEO (Duke is said to have been Scott’s protégé), he led the company’s International division, and was made aware of bribery allegations in the company’s Mexican subsidiary as early as October 2005.

Wealth

Real estate

Duke’s home in Arkansas is appraised at $1,454,500.[1] According to a 2009 news article, Duke lives in a gated community near a country club.[2]

Corporate pay

Duke’s 2011 compensation package at Walmart was worth $18.1 million.[3] He owns about $111 million of Walmart stock. [4]

Educational and professional background

Education

In 1971, Duke received a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech, where he was a member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity.

Professional life

Duke has been the Chief Executive Officer and President of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. since February 1, 2009. He is Walmart’s fifth CEO and the first to have never worked with Sam Walton directly. When his appointment to replace former CEO Lee Scott was announced—he is said to have been Scott’s protégé[5]—many in the investment community were pleased. Duke had been the CEO and President of Walmart International since October 2005, and the company’s growth in the coming years was expected to come from the international segment. “A lot of people in the investment community were hoping [Duke] would become the next CEO,” said Joseph Feldman, a retail analyst with Telsey Advisory Group.[6]

Duke joined Walmart in 1995. Prior to joining Walmart, he worked at Federated Department Stores and May Department Stores.[7]

Political giving

Duke is a registered Republican in Arkansas. Since 2000, he has given $12,000 in federal political donations, 86% to Republican candidates and 14% to the Arvest Bank (owned by the Walton family; Jim Walton is the chairman and CEO) and Retail Leaders PACs.[8]

Community connections

• Executive Committee, Business Roundtable
• Executive Council, Center for Environmental Leadership in Business, Conservation International
• Member, National Academy of Engineering
• Board of Advisors, University of Arkansas[9]
• Advisory Board, Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (Beijing, China).[10]

Along with many other senior Walmart executives, Duke belongs to the Fellowship Bible Church in Rogers, AR.[11]