Family Tree

“50 years ago, in 1971, at the age of 17, I moved away from the protective umbrella of my parents and into an unknown world full of everyday challenges. It was the beginning of my transformation from a boy to a man.

I served my country for 33 years and during this time the Army taught me every skill that existed. Please note that I used the word ‘served’. ‘Service to the Nation’ then and ‘Service to the Customer’ now, is the simple transition from the Army to Walmart.

One does not join the Army as a part of HR or Sourcing or Logistics with opportunities for lateral moves, but joins as an officer who is mandated to move into different roles to gain experience in each role as the years pass by. People Management is one of the most important skills a leader of troops must possess. The Army helps you build this skill which comes handy even after retirement. I had heard from some of my colleagues that it takes time to make the transition but well, I proved them wrong. The culture, code of conduct, beliefs, servant leadership, ethics, integrity and the sheer size of both the Army and Walmart are so similar that the switch was smooth, barring a few initial hiccups.

It has been more than 13 years at Walmart and I am still going strong. As an important cog in the crisis management team, the ongoing pandemic put me to test, working tirelessly to manage the ever changing virus variants that come at you in waves like the enemy in battle, multiple government directives that change overnight and new ways of working. One of the differences between working with the Army and Walmart is that, in the Army I never had the option to work from home!” - Colonel Denis Raymond Lobo.
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This #ArmyDay, we bring you a series of inspiring stories to celebrate our veterans and their service to the country. Jai Hind!