In 2018, Rachel Brand assumed a pivotal role at Walmart, serving as the executive vice president of global governance, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary. In this multifaceted position, she oversees a spectrum of critical functions, including legal, compliance, ethics, corporate governance, digital citizenship, aviation, investigative, and corporate security, including Walmart's Emergency Operations Center.
Before joining the retail giant, Brand made history as the first woman to serve as the United States Associate Attorney General. Her distinguished career in government also includes serving as the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy during President George W. Bush's administration. In the realm of government service, she was appointed by President Obama as a Member of the U.S. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Additionally, she served as an Associate Counsel to the President at the White House and held judicial clerkships with Justice Charles Fried of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts and Justice Anthony Kennedy at the Supreme Court of the United States.
Brand's private sector experience is equally impressive. She worked as a lawyer at two prominent law firms in Washington, D.C. and as the Vice President and Chief Counsel for Regulatory Litigation at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Litigation Center.
Beyond her responsibilities at Walmart, Brand actively participates in various boards and organizations. She is on the board of directors for the Walmart Foundation and serves as the executive sponsor for Walmart's Tribal Voices Associate Resource Group. Externally, she sits on the board of directors for the International Justice Mission and is a member of The American Law Institute.
Brand holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota-Morris and earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School. Her legal expertise extends to federal counterterrorism efforts, particularly foreign intelligence collection by agencies such as the CIA and NSA under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and Executive Order 12333.
Her tenure in the White House during the tragic events of September 11, 2001, placed her in a pivotal role, with primary responsibility for drafting the Executive Order that created the Homeland Security Council and other critical directives for continuity of government.
A respected figure in legal and policy circles, Brand is a frequent public speaker, has appeared in numerous media outlets, and has testified in Congress on matters ranging from counterterrorism policy to judicial administration. Committed to community service, she serves on the boards of directors for Doorways for Women and Families and the Little Falls Presbyterian Foundation, while also holding the position of Elder in the Little Falls Presbyterian Church. She stands as a paragon of leadership, contributing significantly to both the corporate and public service realms.