Eduardo Castro-Wright Named Executive Vice President and Chief Operati

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. announced today that Eduardo Castro-Wright, currently president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Mexico, will become executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Wal-Mart Stores Division in the United States.

Castro-Wright, 49, has headed Wal-Mart's majority-owned Mexican subsidiary since 2001. Effective February 25 he will join the parent company, reporting to Michael T. Duke, president and CEO of the Wal-Mart Stores Division.

"We are fortunate to be able to draw on executive talent from within our global team," said Duke. "Eduardo is a proven leader who has helped Wal-Mart Mexico achieve outstanding results. His experience, perspective and management skills will be a valuable addition to our division here in the United States."

Castro-Wright had been president of Honeywell Transportation and Power Systems Worldwide before joining Wal-Mart Mexico. He had also been president of Nabisco Asia-Pacific, and president of Nabisco in both Mexico and Venezuela. Castro-Wright graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS degree in mechanical engineering.

Eduardo Solorzano, currently chief operating officer of Wal-Mart Mexico, will now become its president and CEO, also effective February 25.

John Menzer, president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart International, described Solorzano as a highly capable and experienced executive with extensive Wal-Mart experience. "We feel very confident about the strength of our leadership team and about continuing our strong performance in Mexico," Menzer said.

Solorzano, 47, joined Cifra, the predecessor company to Wal-Mart Mexico in 1985. He worked in a variety of operations, merchandising and logistics areas and became COO in 2003. In 1994, Solorzano became commercial director for the Mexican retail firm Soriana. He rejoined Wal-Mart in 1998. Solorzano has a degree in economics from the Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey and a Master's degree in economics from the Universidad de las Americas.

About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM'S CLUBS in the United States. Internationally, the company operates in Puerto Rico, Canada, China, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, United Kingdom, Argentina and South Korea. The company's securities are listed on the New York and Pacific stock exchanges under the symbol WMT. Last year, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., contributed more than $150 million to support communities and local non-profit organizations. Customers and associates raised an additional $70 million at stores and clubs.