President and chief operating officer Joseph O’Leary plans to retire soon, and the chain creates a new job with oversight of online and store activities.

PetSmart Inc. will lose its president in April, and will create an executive position that includes oversight of store and online customer experience.

The pets products e-retailer, No. 341 in the Internet Retailer 2013 Top 500 Guide, says Joseph O’Leary will retire as of April 4, leaving his job as president and chief operating officer. He has worked at the retail chain since 2006, according to his LinkedIn profile. His career also has included executive supply chain and logistical jobs at The Gap Inc., No. 19 in the Top 500.

“I’m proud of all that we have accomplished during my time at PetSmart, and am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a talented team of leaders and associates,”  O’Leary says. “I continue to believe in PetSmart’s associates, vision and strategy, and it has been both a privilege and a pleasure to serve this great company for the past eight years.”

PetSmart took in InternetRetailer-estimated web sales of $39.2 million in 2012, up 6% from the prior year, according to data from Top500Guide.com.

PetSmart CEO David Lenhardt will take the title of president and continue as chief executive. The chain says it will not hire a new chief operating officer.

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Instead, this will happen, the chain says this week:

• Senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer Carrie Teffner becomes executive vice president and chief financial officer.

• Chief information officer Don Beaver also will retire, with the new chief information officer reporting to Teffner. PetSmart has not hired a new chief information officer.

• Senior vice president of merchandising Matt McAdam becomes executive vice president of merchandising and real estate.

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• Senior vice president of store operations and services Bruce Thorn becomes executive vice president of store operations, services and supply chain.

• Besides those three new executive vice president positions, the chain also has created the position of executive vice president of customer experience, strategic planning and corporate development. The person hired for that job will “focus on developing strategies for creating an unmatched customer experience, both in stores and online, and developing organic and adjacent growth strategies across all platforms,” the chain says.

All the new executive vice presidents report to Lenhardt.

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