February 8, 2007
Implementing Wal-Mart’s Sustainability Plan
David Blackwell, CFO Global Procurement, Wal-Mart
Talk Details
Title: Implementing Wal-Mart’s Sustainability Plan
Speaker: David Blackwell
Date: February 8, 2006 (Thur.)
Time: 12:30 - 1:30 pm
Location: GSB 3.138
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Summary of Talk
Our world is changing: Declining natural systems, climate change and energy crises affect us and threaten future generations. As a large international company, Walmart must help to restore the life support systems of the earth. Fortunately, along with that responsibility comes an opportunity to promote restorative business practices across our entire industry.
In 2004 Walmart launched a company-wide, long-term initiative to unlock our potential. Leaders and executives from virtually every branch of the company formed entrepreneurial teams focusing on areas such as packaging, real estate, energy, raw materials, and electronics waste. These teams partnered with environmental consultants, non-profit organizations, and other groups who helped them examine our business practices through the lens of restoration and sustainability.
Learn what Wal-Mart is striving to do to ensure an economical and environmentally sustainable supply chain to improve the quality of life today and for future generations.
Biosketch
David Blackwell is Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Global Procurement, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., responsible for the direct sourcing of products for Wal-Mart’s global retail operations. GP has doubled its sourcing volume in the last three years while expanding its global presence to 25 countries. 
Prior to his current position, he served as Vice President and CFO of Wal-Mart Europe. In 2000, David joined Wal-Mart International as a Director of International Finance where he was a key team member in the creation of the Global Procurement Division, developing the strategy for its future. Before Wal-Mart, David spent 20 years in the oil and gas industry with the Atlantic Richfield Company. He gained a broad business and global perspective through assignments in the US, United Arab Emirates and Tunisia, and through participation in negotiations of multi-billion dollar business ventures in China and Russia.
David was a keynote speaker at the CFO Conference on “Corporate Performance Management”, and the AICPA Controllers Conference where he presented “Business Sustainability in the 21 st Century”. He has also participated as a panelist at the Economist Conference on “Global Supply Chain Management” and the World Bank on “Supply Chain as an Instrument for Export Growth”. David has been interviewed for articles on global supply chain and finance for CFO Asia magazine and CFO Research.
In addition to a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin, David obtained a Masters of Business Administration in Corporate Finance from the University of Dallas. He is a member of Financial Executives International, on the Corporate Executive Board’s Procurement Strategy Council, and actively supports Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE).
