Jeffrey J. Gearhart
Jeff has served on the Boards of Directors of Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc since 2020. In this role, he serves as chair of the Compliance Committees and member of the Audit Committees.
Jeff brings nearly 30 years of leadership experience overseeing global legal, regulatory and compliance matters and managing strategic, compliance and regulatory risks. As Executive Vice President, Global Governance and Corporate Secretary, Jeff was responsible for oversight of their global legal, compliance, ethics and security and investigative functions, among others. Through his role as the Corporate Secretary at Walmart, as well as public company board service, Jeff developed strong corporate governance expertise. Before his 15-year leadership tenure with Walmart, he was a Partner at Kutak Rock, practicing in the corporate, securities and mergers and acquisitions areas.
Jeff is credited with building a globally recognized ethics and compliance program that earned Walmart the New York Stock Exchange Governance Services award for the “Best Governance, Risk, and Compliance Program for Large-Cap Companies” in 2016.
Roles & Chronology
- 2020 – Present
- Boards of Directors, Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc
- 2012 – 2018
- Executive Vice President, Global Governance & Corporate Secretary, Walmart, Inc.
- 2010 – 2012
- Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Walmart, Inc.
- 2009 – 2010
- Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Walmart, Inc.
- 2007 – 2009
- Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Walmart, Inc.
- 2003 – 2007
- Vice President and General Counsel, Corporate Division, Walmart, Inc.
- 1998 – 2003
- Partner, Corporate Securities and Mergers and Acquisitions, Kutak Rock LLP
- 1989 – 1998
- P.A. Associate/Partner, Rose Law Firm
Corporate & Charitable Leadership
Jeff is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Bank OZK, where he serves as a member of its Audit Committee, Trust and Wealth Committee, Portfolio Oversight Committee, as well as a rotating member of its Directors’ Loan Committee. Previously, he served on the Board of Directors of Mercy Health System, Central Region, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, and Fayetteville Public Education Foundation. Additionally, he served as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Walton Arts Center while also serving as the Chair of its Governance Committee. He has also served on the Board of Directors and President’s Council of Mission of Hope Haiti, a nonprofit that works alongside local churches and leaders in Haiti to transform lives through church advancement, nutrition, education and medical care.
Personal & Educational Background
Jeff earned a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas.
