Walmart's youngest store manager: internal promotion in action

Kiley Pulley became Walmart's youngest store manager in the U.S. at age 22, six years after starting as a part-time cashier. Now 23, she runs a store in Buckeye, Arizona, and her career path offers a window into how the retailer develops its salaried leadership from within.

Pulley started at Walmart in 2019, working after school at a location down the street from her high school. She moved through hourly roles, cashier, stocker, online fulfillment, before becoming an academy trainer at 18. Six months later she was a digital team lead, then an operations manager at 19. She was promoted to store manager just before turning 22.

"People ask me, 'How did you do it?' My answer is to show up and learn something new every day," she said.

Her progression relied on Walmart's internal succession planning. Once she decided to make Walmart a career, she got on succession plans and joined monthly calls with her market manager. She also covered for store managers during their time off to gain experience needed for the top role.

"I remember thinking, I'm going to be a store manager at 21. I'll be the youngest in the company," Pulley said.

The transition from hourly associate to salaried manager required a shift in tone and boundaries. Pulley said she scaled back joking and playful interactions to establish authority. She also made her social media profiles private to separate her personal life from her management role.

"Changing my tone and limiting the joking and playful attitude felt necessary as a leader in the building," she said.

Delegation was another adjustment. Early in her salaried role, Pulley tried to do everything herself. She learned to trust her team leads and academy trainers to train associates, freeing her to focus on broader store operations.

"I realized not everyone's going to know everything that I know, and if I really want to delegate and get tasks done, I'm going to have to teach and train," she said.

Pulley also had to manage her own work-life balance. After her first salaried promotion, she stopped going to the gym and sacrificed time with her fiancé and family. She later recognized she didn't need to be constantly available.

"It was my fault; the team didn't need me that badly. Now, I'm doing better. When I get home, I'm not spending the whole day looking at metrics or constantly texting my team," she said.

Her old store manager, who promoted her through hourly roles, prepped her for her first salaried position by drilling interview questions. Her market manager, who has known her since before she started promoting, continues to support her.

Pulley dropped out of college when she got her salaried position. She has since enrolled in Walmart's Live Better U program, which pays for certain bachelor's degrees, and plans to earn her degree.

Looking ahead, she has set a goal to become a market manager by age 27 or 28, with a longer-term aim of regional executive vice president.

For Walmart, Pulley's trajectory underscores the company's ability to retain and promote early-career talent into store leadership. The retailer relies on its academy trainer system and succession pipelines to fill store manager roles, which typically require years of experience. Pulley's case shows that accelerated paths are possible for workers who actively seek development opportunities and mentorship.

"One thing I always remind myself is that I worked hard to get to this life, so I can't be upset now that I have it," she said.