Wal-Mart Shuffles Executive Ranks, Blending Web and Store Duties -- Update
January 13 2017 - 12:13PM
Dow Jones News
By Sarah Nassauer
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is shuffling its leadership ranks five
months after buying Jet.com Inc., giving several top executives
responsibility for both online and in-store operations.
The changes come as the company prepares to cut about 1,000
corporate jobs at its headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., and the
world's largest retailer revamps its operations to compete with
Amazon.com Inc.
Tony Rogers, the retailer's chief marketing officer, will also
lead online and digital marketing efforts, including for Jet.com,
according to an internal memo. "This integrated team will help us
communicate in a more consistent way with our customers," wrote
Jet.com founder Marc Lore, who runs the company's U.S. e-commerce
operations.
Jeremy King, head of the WalmartLabs engineering team, is being
promoted to U.S. chief technology officer, reporting to both the
company's U.S. stores chief, Greg Foran, and Mr. Lore.
Michael Bender, chief operating officer for e-commerce will
leave the company, CEO Doug McMillon told staff in a memo Friday.
Scott Hilton, chief revenue officer for Jet.com, will become chief
revenue officer for all e-commerce operations. Jamie Iannone, chief
executive of SamsClub.com will take on responsibility for all of
the warehouse chain's technology efforts, including in stores.
In the past, Wal-Mart e-commerce executives and store executives
didn't have direct responsibility for each other's turf, a
separation that has proved challenging for the retailer as it works
to take on Amazon and leverage its stores as a competitive
advantage, according to former employees familiar with the
matter.
The retailer has also hired Clay Johnson, an executive at
General Electric Co.'s GE Power for the role of enterprise chief
information officer. Mr. Johnson will "focus on lowering our costs,
getting the benefits of scale, associate experience and cyber
security," Mr. McMillon said in the memo.
Wal-Mart announced Tuesday its chief information officer,
Karenann Terrell, will leave the company next month.
Last week Wal-Mart said Rosalind Brewer, the CEO of Sam's Club,
would depart , putting chief merchandising officer John Furner into
the roll. On Friday, Mr. Furner told staff that two longtime
Wal-Mart employees would shift to Sam's.
Gisel Ruiz will become executive vice president of operations
for Sam's Club. Ashley Buchanan, senior vice president of dry
grocery for Wal-Mart, will become chief merchandising officer for
Sam's.
The retailer's fiscal year ends Jan. 31, spurring the wave of
announcements.
Wal-Mart purchased Jet.com Inc. for $3.3 billion last September,
quickly placing Mr. Lore, Jet's founder, at the head of its
e-commerce operations. By November Mr. Lore had already made some
management changes, naming Jet co-founder Nate Faust to lead
fulfillment operations for Jet.com and Walmart.com. Friday's
changes mark a more complete reworking of Wal-Mart's e-commerce
leadership structure.
Write to Sarah Nassauer at sarah.nassauer@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 13, 2017 12:58 ET (17:58 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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