Wal-Mart appoints general counsel amid bribery allegations in Mexico

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced Thursday it has promoted Karen Roberts to EVP and general counsel, effective Feb. 1. Roberts’ predecessor Jeff Gearhart will focus his efforts on global compliance as Wal-Mart continues to deal with allegations of bribery in Mexico.



Roberts is a 17-year veteran of Wal-Mart and currently handles real estate operations for the retailer as EVP and president of Walmart Realty for Walmart U.S. In her new role, she will manage the legal department, which is responsible for handling all legal matters affecting the company in its domestic and international markets.



Prior to that, she was SVP and chief compliance officer for Walmart U.S.