Julie Roehm: Did the Walmart Scandal Shatter Her Career?

Posted by Kristina Cowan

A recent New York Times article details the story of two former Walmart executives—Julie Roehm and Sean Womack—accused of engaging in an affair while hunting for new ad agencies for the uber-retailer. Walmart made the claims in a court filing and, the Times story says, Julie Roehm and Sean Womack pursued employment with one of the agencies they ended up recommending.

According to the March 20 article on the Walmart scandal:

“Instead of working solely in WalMart’s interest,” the company said, Ms. Roehm “frequently put her own first. She did not merely fail to avoid conflicts of interest, she invited them.”

WalMart backed up its assertions with what it said were e-mail messages sent by Ms. Roehm and Mr. Womack, both married, from their work and private accounts.

“I hate not being able to call you or write you,” Ms. Roehm wrote early last fall, according to an e-mail message Mr. Womack’s wife provided to WalMart. “I think about us together all the time. Little moments like watching your face when you kiss me.”

Reached yesterday in Las Vegas, Ms. Roehm denied WalMart’s accusations of an affair with Mr. Womack, and she said she had not had job discussions with Draft FCB.

“There was never any discussions about us going to work with them full time,” said Ms. Roehm. “I know what e-mails they have, and that’s not at all what they prove.”

The fallout between Wal-Mart and Ms. Roehm, considered by many to be a rising star in marketing, shook the advertising world because Ms. Roehm had overseen Wal-Mart’s $580 million ad agency selection in the fall. After Wal-Mart fired Ms. Roehm, it also fired Draft FCB, the Interpublic Group agency she had selected for the most important part of the assignment. Wal-Mart has since reassigned the business.

Ms. Roehm sued Wal-Mart for firing her shortly after her dismissal, asserting that the company had not given a valid reason and owed her money under her contract with Wal-Mart. ...

In its filing, WalMart described Ms. Roehm and Mr. Womack as executives determined to advance their careers, even at the expense of WalMart’s reputation — by, for example, accepting expensive bottles of vodka and dinner at exclusive restaurants.

Ms. Roehm, in responding to WalMart’s assertions, said that she was hoping to “settle this amicably and move on.”

Julie Roehm BusinessWeek Story

A Feb. 12 BusinessWeek story presents more of Julie Roehm’s perspective on the Walmart Scandal:

As Julie Roehm tells it, hers is a cautionary tale of what happens when a self-described change agent goes to work for a company that needs to reinvent itself but can’t. … Roehm acknowledges mistakes, among them moving too quickly and not adapting to her new workplace. But she also paints a picture of warring fiefdoms and a passive-aggressive culture that was hostile to outsiders.

Does Scandal=Career Sabotage?

Whether Julie Roehm and Sean Womack are guilty as Walmart charges, whether Walmart is a stodgy employer that’s unfriendly to neophytes, as Roehm suggests in BusinessWeek, one thing is sure: the story smacks of career peril.

Or does it?

The Times story says Roehm and Womack, who were fired by Walmart, are now working together part time, as marketing consultants. So maybe their careers aren’t shattered. Maybe the ill-fame will catapult their careers to new glory, earning them better salaries. It may be too soon to tell, but they seem fine in the short-run.

In the United States—and abroad—scandal doesn’t always mean doomsday for one’s career. Consider President Clinton, Marion Barry and Silvio Berlusconi. Some might say they have Teflon qualities that reject taint. Others, like former Congressmen Mark Foley and Gary Condit, haven’t proven as lucky.

If there is takeaway moral from these stories, I think it’s that scandals are best avoided when it comes to your career.

What's your take on this story. Would you avoid an inter-office romance if you knew it could cost you your job?

Comments

Until recently, I probably would have taken Walmart's side and believed it. Surely Walmart would not intentionaly punish, fire an employee for no valid provable reason! Just because she was given a bottle of Vodka, doesn't mean anything dishonest was going on. However, I must admit, if these two people are seeing each other in a romantic way, I must say it doesn't look good. I, until just a few days ago was an employee of walmart. I too was accused of a wrong that I'm not guilty of and now am not only jobless but have my reputation destroyed. I was accused of taking a converter box coupon... This is the craziest thing to me.. I admitted to not scanning that card. To the best of my recall, I put it between the hand scanner and the check machine thinking "she'll come back when she realizes I didn't give her credit for it, if she doesn't come by the time I get off the register, I'll give it to my css. I never thought about it again. My css came to me much later and asked me about the transaction and I told her "OH shoot, I forgot about that thank goodness she came back look between the hand scanner and the check machine that's where I remember putting it. I never thought about it again. In the meantime, I looked at a converter box as I had put off getting one and since the channel I like to watch has already stopped brocasting analog, I"ll go ahead and get it. A fellow employee came up to me and asked if she could help..I pulled my card(in the envelope that it was mailed to me in,still attached to the letter with my name and address on it My card with My assigned security code. However, since they did not have a Magnavox(only RCA), I opted to wait. I was called in to the managers office days later and was told by my manager, "I have a transaction that occured 10 days ago I need you to help me with. I told my mgr. that I'd try( thinking good Lord 10 days ago?There's no way unless it was a transaction that had some major difficulty!) As it turns out, it was the transaction mentioned before. I told my mgr. what had happened and where to my recall I'd put the card, then I thought, oh my God, that ladies card hasn't been found and now they think this is her card!! To the best of my recolection, he then asked me if I took that card and I told him no, I have my card here in my pocket but not that lady's. I was asked if he could see it and of course I gave it to him(still in the envelope it came in, still attached to the letter it came on showing my name and address). The security man said that it didn't make any sense, my mgr. said he'd never have thought this and that he was sorry but he was going to have to terminate me with no rehire. I tried to tell them it was "MY" card to which the mgr. said," I have no doubt that's your card... then why the heck are you saying this is her card for Heaven's sake! The security man said, Kathy, I saw you put that card in your jacket pocket. Impossible !!! This is my card and I don't care what you or your security cameas say I DID NOT TAKE THAT LADIES CARD! I asked to take a lie detector test and was told no and I asked then how am I suppose to defend myself, what legal recourse do I have? At which point, the mgr. said this conversation is closed. When the green termination paper was given to my mgr, I asked, don't I get to write a rebutal? I was told no by him and then the security man said if you persue this, I WILL prosecute you. I signed the paper but wrote out to the side..NOT GUILTY! I went to get my pay check and purchase(at walmart) my money orders. While standing in line, I felt a hand on my shoulder and was asked what is going on. I told her what happened and what Ladon said about prosecuting me if I persued this. I told her I did not take that lady"s card..I have my card with my security code. If I put that card in my pocket it was to give to my css to find out the proper procedure to follow. She said "that's impossible, he can't prosecute you for trying to defend yourself, I've got a number for you to call. I think this person can help you. It was the number for the DM. I have called three times leaving my name and number asking please to have the DM call me as it was very important. Today, I finally got a REAL person and was told that the Dm had given my request to the human resource person and they would return my call. How in the name of goodness can they think I took that lady's card?! First and foremost, I'm not a theif, second, I have my card with my security code on it usable only by my name. None of this makes any sense at all! How did I go from a Golden employee to a thief? If I was going to steal for God's sake, why didn't I keep money, jewlery, credit cards, EBT cards I had found instead of turning them in? I am guilty of not properly carring ut the transaction, I've misplaced a document not to mention cheating a customer out of a 40.00 discount which is TERRIBLE but a far cry from being a thief!!! Yes, I do deserve discipilnary action but fired? surely that can't be! I have gone through this in my mind over and over and over...I can not for the life of me remember doing anything with that card other than putting it on the register table between the handscanner and check machine. Until I see with my own eyes that I put that card in my pocket I avow I did just as I said. How in the name of all that's holy and right can a innocent mistake be turned into a criminal offense?! Has anyone ever heard of anything like this happening? And if so, how did the person ever get it straightened out? I think Ladon still believes my card is that ladies. There would be no reason for him to just single me out to persecute, nor my mgr. He just dosen't understand it was an irresponsible way of handling a transaction that's all. Mam, I hope and pray you are able to get your mess straightened out... in my opinion, they need to look at everything, talk to people you've worked with and under...I now know things are not always the way they seem. I am going to continue to try to clear my name and get my job back! That's all I want...my name cleared...my job back! Oh and to get in touch with that lady and let her know I didn't not scan her card with any ill intent..I was just plain dumb...to offer to go and get her and take her to walmart and buy her a box with my card. I owe her that and it's the right thing to do. Anyone have any suggestions as to what I can/should do? I wish you the very best. Whoever has the responsibility of making a final decision on your and my matter, may Heavenly Father give them the wisdom to do so correctly.

Posted by: Kathy Harris | January 26, 2009 at 02:55 PM