President's Message - Minority Enterprise Executive Council

Gisel Ruiz
Regional General Manager
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Gisel Ruiz, a 14-year veteran of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., is currently a Regional General Manager at Wal-Mart, overseeing the
multi-billion dollar operation of 110 stores in the West and Southwest region of Texas. Ruiz began her career as a management
trainee in Madera, California in 1992. She quickly moved up through the ranks to Assistant Manager, Co-Manager and Store
Manager jobs in Utah and California.
As an Operations Coordinator, she co-led a team in developing the strategy and process for restructuring the mid and upper
management levels of Wal-Mart Store Operations. Additionally, she led Hispanic store of the community initiatives by working closely
with merchants, marketing and operations to drive changes in stores in key markets.
From 2001 to 2004 Ruiz served as a Director of Personnel, charged with managing the Human Resources operations for Wal-Mart
stores across one-third of the U.S. Her territory stretched from the upper Midwest to the far West including Alaska and Hawaii. She
has served as a Labor Relations Manager, educating Wal-Mart managers on labor law and other employment related issues, and was
integral in developing people staffing strategies for Wal-Mart’s Supercenter expansion in the Western United States.
Ruiz has been recognized for her ability as a leader and teacher of associates, by mentoring and helping to develop the careers of
other Wal-Mart Associates. She is a member of LULAC and is the Chairperson for the Wal-Mart Stores Home Office, Hispanic/Latino
Associate Resource Group.
Ruiz has a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Santa Clara University where she also completed the Retail Management
Institute program. She is fluent in Spanish.