About

Headquartered in Costa Rica, Walmart de México y Centroamérica was established following the acquisition of Walmart’s operations in Central America by Walmart Mexico from Wal-Mart Stores Inc in 2009. Currently the company is the largest retailer in the region with 33,000 employees and 700 stores located in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras. Walmart’s legal team, comprised of over 40 professionals, has been playing an influential role in supporting the company’s ambitions to expand in Central America and Mexico, as it plans to invest $1.5bn across several countries and add over 400 new stores to its portfolio. Several outstanding Walmart senior level lawyers have been singled out in this year’s research. Legal manager of the Nicaraguan business María Augusta Fernández Siu has impressed with her outstanding negotiation skills and strategic planning, while Costa Rican legal manager Alejandra Bogantes has been praised for her expertise in overseeing complex litigations. Gloria Rodriguez, who also featured in 2016’s GC Powerlist: Central America, has impressed with her work to overhaul the Guatemalan legal department, streamlining and automating key processes within the function. Regional legal manager for Central America, Victor Murillo maintains close contact with country legal managers in region and is a primary contributor to the legal team’s success in delivering on a range of tasks for the company.