Wal-Mart Integrates In-Store, Web Posts -- WSJ
January 14 2017 - 3:02AM
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 world's largest retailer prepares to cut
about 1,000 corporate jobs at its headquarters in Bentonville,
Ark., and revamps its operations to compete with Amazon.com
Inc.
Tony Rogers, Wal-Mart'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, Chief Executive 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
kept to their own turf in terms of direct responsibility, 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.
Wal-Mart purchased Jet.com Inc. for $3.3 billion in 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.
The retailer has also hired Clay Johnson, an executive at
General Electric Co.'s power business 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 role. On Friday, Mr. Furner told staff that two longtime
Wal-Mart employees would join his ranks. Gisel Ruiz will become
executive vice president of operations for Sam's Club, and 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, in part spurring the
wave of announcements.
Write to Sarah Nassauer at sarah.nassauer@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 14, 2017 02:47 ET (07:47 GMT)
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