Her function will be to focus on data and technology use

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart has appointed Nuala O’Connor to a new role as senior vice president and chief counsel of digital citizenship.

Nuala O’Connor

In that role, O’Connor will focus on Walmart’s use of data and technology to advance the retailer’s goals, the company said.

“This digital citizenship function will counsel the company on issues related to privacy, use of data and data governance, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, and records management,” said Rachel Brand, Walmart’s executive vice president of global governance, chief legal officer and corporate secretary. “They will advise not only on whether we may legally use data or technology in a particular way, but also on what effect that use would have on our relationship of trust with our customers and stakeholders. I can’t think of anyone better than Nuala O’Connor to serve in this new role. She is an internationally recognized expert in technology policy, and her vast experience in data privacy, information governance, and emerging technology issues makes her a perfect fit for this role.”

O’Connor will report to Brand, a former U.S. Justice Department official who joined Walmart last year.

O’Connor brings more than 20 years of technology policy and legal leadership experience, gained through jobs with the nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology, Amazon.com Inc., General Electric Corp. and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“Walmart is one of the most important and influential companies in America and around the world,” O’Connor said in a statement. “I am thrilled to join the business and look forward to working on responsible digital citizenship as technology transforms the retail industry and the daily lives of our associates, customers, and communities.”

O’Connor earned a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, a Master of Education from Harvard University, and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.