“Walmart takes ordinary people and turns them into something they never thought they could be.” That’s how Ashley Senyk, store manager of store 3164 in Leamington, Ontario describes her experience building a career at Walmart Canada.
Ashley joined Walmart in 2007 as an associate in the deli department at our Chatham, Ontario store and was just recently promoted to store manager, leading a team of 160 associates.
“When I think back 17 years ago or even three years ago, if you had told me I would be running a store I wouldn’t have believed you,” said Ashley. Her story is nothing short of inspiring as she worked hard, welcomed feedback and pushed beyond her comfort zone to pursue new career possibilities at Walmart.
Ashley describes how her first manager, Patti Caron, saw potential in her early on and was the first person to tap her on her shoulder and tell her she could do more. “For as many times as I told her no, she would encourage me to take on additional tasks that helped me develop new skills; she trained me to be a manager and play the part before I was one,” Ashley describes.
Ashley explains how her Market Leader, Hamid Chaudry, also gave her opportunities to visit other stores and conduct store assessments where she would give feedback to store managers – a game-changer in building her confidence.
Ashley’s last store manager, Kristin Sauve, encouraged her to dig deep into who she was and what she wanted to be known for. Each of these ingredients, paired with taking courses offered through Walmart Academy and Ashley’s desire to strive for more, contributed to her success and where she is today.
“Ashley is a great example of someone that did not believe in herself, but she decided to put herself out there and make a name for herself within the region. She worked hard and challenged herself by taking on different projects and putting herself in new situations outside her comfort zone,” said Hamid Chaudry, Director, Market Leader for Southwestern, Ontario.
“I’m so proud of what Ashley has accomplished over the years and can’t think of someone more deserving of her recent promotion,” added Hamid.
More about Ashley
Ashley isn’t just a career woman. She’s also a single mom to her beautiful daughter, Shelbie, a workout enthusiast who’s competed in Tough Mudder competitions, and an explorer who has goals to travel the world.
When Ashley faced challenges in her personal life, she found comfort in her colleagues and career at Walmart.
“Walmart has been a family to me and a constant in my life. When I went through a separation and was becoming a single mom, I knew I could rely on Walmart to be financially independent. And when I gave birth to my stillborn son my Walmart family rallied behind me and made sure I didn’t feel alone,” Ashley shares.
Ashley’s advice to anyone looking to grow in their career:
1. Be transparent with your leaders about where you want to grow in your career so they can help you get there.
2. When you don’t understand something, ask.
3. Be resilient. There will be challenging moments, but what you do in those moments can shape your entire career.
If you’re interested in starting your career journey with Walmart Canada, check out the job opportunities on our career site here.
