Huizenga School Graduate John E. DiBenedetto speaks as Distinguished Lecturer

L to R) Ryan Travis, Brand and Communication Manager, Wal-Mart; John DiBenedetto, VP, Learning and Development, Wal-Mart; Randy Pohlman, Dean and Joe Pineda, Asst. Dean of External Affairs. both with H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business & Entrepreneurship.

The H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship hosted John E. DiBenedetto, Vice-President of Learning and Development of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., as a Distinguished Lecture Series speaker on May 18. 

DiBenedetto joined Wal-Mart in 2005 and is responsible for field operations training for 1.3 million associates in more than 3,800 stores nationwide. In a short period of time, he has transformed the company’s defunct training department consisting of several “non-communicative silos,” and duplicate work streams to 4 separate divisions aligned with corporate objectives and strategies, which he created by developing 27 distinct competencies, job descriptions and compensation structures.  The focus of DiBenedetto’s transformation has been the re-alignment of training and development with business objectives and investing in learning technologies for “experience-based learning.” 

When asked for advice to students, he said, “Get an education and do it in steps.  With an education and relevant work experience, you can do anything, it’s a powerhouse.”  He also gave recognition to Huizenga School faculty members who he remembered from his studying days, noting, “The business school has an esteemed faculty with real-world experience to share alongside academic teachings.”   

DiBenedetto is a graduate of the Huizenga School, holding an MBA and DBA.  He is also currently teaching online graduate and undergraduate management and human resources courses for the Huizenga School.

Founded in 1962, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the world’s largest retailer, with $312.4 billion in sales for fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2006. The company employs 1.8 million associates worldwide through more than 3,800 facilities in the United States and more than 2,600 units in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Kingdom.  More than 138 million customers per week visit Wal-Mart stores worldwide. In 2005, Wal-Mart donated more than $200 million to help charities and organizations throughout the U.S.