Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, Senior Vice President for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., recently ranked number 6 on the Uptown Professional Top 100 Executives list, began her Wal-Mart service as Vice President of Audits & Tax Policy in August of 2004.

In January of 2007, she was promoted to Chief Tax Officer.  As “CTO” she is responsible for the company’s global tax function with oversight in 27 countries, including the recent additions of Sub-Saharan and South Africa.  In February 2012, her duties were again increased to include financial responsibilities for the company’s Global Sourcing organization which includes 32 worldwide locations in 22 countries.

Her professional career began as a tax attorney for the Louisiana Department of Revenue, culminating in a gubernatorial appointment as Assistant Secretary of the Office of Legal Affairs in which capacity she was responsible for all tax litigation at the state level; she served as an administrative law judge for the Louisiana Department of Civil Service; Dispute Resolution Practice Group Leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers where she was responsible for state tax controversies for the Southwest Region of the United States; Partner at the law firm of Adams & Reese, where she was leader of the firm’s Tax Practice and Partner-in-Charge of the Baton Rouge office.

Babineaux-Fontenot’s commitment to diversity has been celebrated throughout her career and includes the recent distinctions of: Identified as one of the “Women Worth Watching,”  by Diversity Journal, A Diversity Champion by Diversity Edge Magazine, and winner of the coveted Dave Jackson Trailblazer Award.

The Opelousas native is a University of Louisiana at Lafayette graduate.  She earned a law degree from Southern University Law Center, “SULC” in Baton Rouge, LA (inducted into SULC Hall of Fame in 2012). She received an LLM in taxation from Southern Methodist University Law School in Dallas, TX.

Babineaux-Fontenot is the daughter of Mary Alice and Warren Babineaux, Jr.. She is married to Barry J. Fontenot, also of Opelousas, and is the mother of two children, Barry Jr. & Sydney Alyce.