At Walmart, wellness manager Nancy Jester creates benefit plans to support women and families

Nancy Jester began her career at Walmart as a pregnant college student. Twenty-one years later, she's the global retailer's senior manager of physical and emotional wellness, spearheading parental and fertility benefits.

Jester's first gig with the retailer was as a customer service representative, in 2002. With a newborn on the way, she was determined to make ends meet, picking up extra shifts and spending countless nights on the phone. Jester, who lives  by the mantra "always say yes," rose through the ranks quickly. When she took a chance on an HR role within the organization, she discovered her passion for benefits and helping others. 

"I love what I do," Jester says."I have a passion for helping our associates. I really try to come in every day, knowing that they're relying on us to make the best decisions for them and their family."

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Over the past two decades, Jester has helped expand Walmart's benefits to include a wide scope of resources, from mental health to vision coverage. While she's dabbled in all sorts of benefits work, Jester has arguably made the most impact in expanding fertility and family-building resources. 

Walmart employees are now eligible to receive $20,000 in financial support towards surrogacy and adoption related needs. Last November, Jester spearheaded a deal with the fertility clinic, Kindbody, to increase employee access to IVF, genetic testing and fertility assessments. There are 30 such clinics across the nation and since the partnership's launch, over 1,300 employees have utilized Kindbody's services, according to Jester. 

"We understand from an employer standpoint that the paths to parenthood look different," Jester says. "Not everyone wants to physically have a baby. Not everybody wants to adopt." 

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To ensure parents are able to do their best job as caregivers, Jester has also worked to build robust paternity and maternity leave benefits. As of 2018, eligible birth parents have up to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, while other parents are guaranteed up to six weeks of paid leave. Thirty-two thousand employees have taken advantage of such leave programs since the program's launch, according to Jester. 

To keep up with the latest needs of Walmart's 1.6 million employees, Jester says it's important to see oneself as "part of the team" — Jester herself has taken advantage of  a tuition reimbursement program, to finish up her college education at Purdue University.  Over two decades later, things have come full-circle: Today, Jester's daughter is 21 years old and on the cusp of graduating college herself.

"I was willing to help the success of the team and do whatever is needed for the greater good," says Jester. "I have to believe that helped me to get to the position I am now, with such great responsibility and amazing leaders that believe in me."