Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced more executive changes today, as Brian Cornell, the current CEO and president of Wal-Mart’s warehouse store subsidiary Sam’s Club, says he plans to resign.
Cornell says he is leaving for personal reasons. “After 30 years of asking my family to follow me all around the globe, it is time to put them first,” he says. “My wife and I want to put down roots in the Northeast and live in the same ZIP code as our children—not just occasionally seeing them in hotels and restaurants.”
Sam’s Club consumers can also shop at the retailer’s e-commerce site, SamsClub.com. Walmart.com is No. 6 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.
Rosalind Brewer, currently the president of Wal-Mart’s eastern United States business unit, will become the new Sam’s Club CEO effective Feb. 1, the retailer says. Prior to her work at Wal-Mart, which began in 2006, Brewer worked for healthcare products manufacturer Kimberly-Clark Corp.
“Roz came to us with an outstanding background in consumer packaged goods more than five years ago,” says Walmart president and CEO Mike Duke. “During that time I have seen her develop into a talented merchant and retailer. She has strong strategic, analytical and operational skills and has successfully managed a large and complex business.”
The announcement follows a slew of executive changes to the global e-commerce division at Wal-Mart in recent months, including the September announcement that current vice chairman and CEO of global e-commerce and sourcing Eduardo Castro-Wright planned to resign.
Several other Walmart.com executives have left the retailer over the last six months. In August, Raul Vazquez, the former CEO of Walmart.com, left the retail chain. At the time of his departure Vazquez oversaw the retailer’s emerging markets group. Steve Nave, senior vice president and general manager of Walmart.com, also left the retailer in August. Wan Ling Martello, executive vice president of global e-commerce, emerging markets, departed this fall.
Those resignations followed Wal-Mart’s creation of a global e-commerce unit and the reorganization of its U.S. web operations in January 2010
Earlier this week, Wal-Mart hired former president of CBS Interactive Neil Ashe to replace Castro-Wright as head of global e-commerce.
In other executive changes announced today, Wal-Mart promoted Gisel Ruiz to executive vice president and chief operating officer for Walmart U.S., where she will oversee U.S. operations, including 3,800 stores. Ruiz was most recently executive vice president of People for Walmart U.S., where she managed human resources for Wal-Mart’s 1.2 million employees.
Rollin Ford, the current chief information officer, has been promoted to chief administrative officer effective Feb. 1. Ford will oversee information systems division, as well as global sourcing and customer insights, Wal-Mart says.
Karenann Terrell has been promoted to chief information officer and will be responsible for the company’s global technology systems including stores and clubs, supply chain, merchandising and enterprise platforms.
Favorite