David Tovar, Walmart’s vice president of corporate communications, will be resigning from his post after a background check that found he had not earn a college degree.
Tovar was being promoted to senior vice president and in the process of a background check for it while discovering he did not fully finish school.
“As part of that process I was going through additional leadership assessment, including a battery of tests including questions about leadership, drug tests, background checks,” Tovar told CNBC in a phone interview. “In the background check my education was flagged. It was done by a third party company. They asked me about it, and I was 100 percent transparent.”
Tovar said he was aware that he was a few credits short to get a degree at the University of Delaware, but he had already walked in the graduation ceremony and got a job in New York at that time.
“I got a job and never looked back. I really didn’t think an art degree would matter in communications, which was the field I went into,” Tovar said.
Tovar said resigning from the position was his own decision because he wanted a more senior job and the giant retailer could not promote him based on what was revealed.
“I am leaving on good terms and Walmart has been very supportive,” Tovar said.
Photo Credit: Flickr/Mike Mozart
