Corporate Board Research

Here is a short Board profile for Wal-Mart, which is just one example of company information you can get at Corporate Board Analyst. (Free registration required.)

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates numerous discount stores and supercenters throughout the United States and several other markets worldwide. Principally engaged in mass-merchandising offering customers discounted goods and services through innovative marketing strategies. BOARD OVERVIEW: The Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) board consists of 14 directors, of which 11 are outside or 'non-executive' directors. Chairman S. Robson Walton is a former executive of the company.

While the Wal-Mart Stores board has a nominal outside majority, 5 of the nominally outside directors have reported relationships with the company that investors or underwriters may wish to examine more closely to determine their actual degree of independence. Please note, however that we highlight these relationships for informational purposes only. While in some cases they may reflect potential conflicts of interest, in many other cases the presence of such directors may instead be to the shareholders' benefit, and contribute to the overall strength of the board. Board independence alone is generally not a major factor in our ratings.

Additional information on any such relationships may be found in the individual director profiles, or in most cases by clicking on the 'outside related' links included in the table below. According to their most recent proxy, the board met 4 times last year. The outside directors also meet separately from management, an especially important indicator of overall board independence. The company's formal governance policy may be accessed online (see below). The company's business ethics code may be accessed online (see below). There are 2 female directors. There are no directors over seventy. There is one director who is an active CEO at another firm. CEO H. Lee Scott is 55 years old. Scott has been CEO since 2000. Wal-Mart Stores is audited by Ernst & Young LLP.