Judith McKenna Promoted to Chief Operating Officer, Walmart U.S.; Gisel Ruiz Appointed Executive Vice President, International People Division

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- (Business Wire)

Today, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) announced that Judith McKenna has been promoted to chief operating officer for Walmart U.S. McKenna succeeds Gisel Ruiz, who has been appointed executive vice president of Walmart’s International People Division.

McKenna will assume her responsibilities immediately and will continue to report directly to Walmart U.S. president and chief executive officer, Greg Foran. Ruiz will also assume her responsibilities immediately and will report to Walmart International president and chief executive officer, David Cheesewright.

“One of the great things about Walmart is the depth and breadth of talent at all levels of our organization. Around the globe, we have some of the best leaders in retail because of our focus on developing talent and our commitment to creating opportunities for diverse experiences,” said Foran. “The announcements we’re making today are examples of just that.”

McKenna joined Walmart nearly 20 years ago as part of its Asda leadership team in the U.K., where she served as the chief financial officer and chief operating officer. She moved to Walmart International as executive vice president of strategy and international development, and most recently served as chief development officer for Walmart U.S. As chief operating officer, McKenna will lead a team of 1.3 million associates. She will also continue to lead Walmart’s small format stores, development of new formats, expansion of Walmart services and the integration of digital commerce into the retailer’s existing U.S. stores.

“At her core and by experience, Judith is a retailer who has made major contributions to our business throughout her career,” said Foran. “It’s exciting to bring her skills in managing store operations, small format growth, logistics and e-commerce to an expanded role in our U.S. operations. Her knowledge of global best practices and her success in leading our associates around the world will help drive our Walmart U.S. business forward.”

Ruiz started as a management trainee and gained a depth of experience across key roles in labor relations, operations and human resources. Most recently as chief operating officer for Walmart U.S., Ruiz led the retailer’s focus on improving operational efficiencies, opened more than 400 new U.S. stores, and increased representation of women and people of color across operations leadership roles. As executive vice president of Walmart’s International People Division, Ruiz will be a key member of Cheesewright’s leadership team and the retailer’s Global People leadership team. She will also drive Walmart’s human resources strategy and priorities that reach more than one million associates in 26 countries around the world.

“Gisel is an inspirational leader who has consistently contributed to Walmart’s growth and success throughout her 22 years with the company. Her proven track record and unwavering commitment to our associates make her the perfect choice for this new role,” said Cheesewright. “The expertise and leadership that Gisel brings are needed as we take our International Division to the next level. I’m looking forward to the impact she’ll have on our associates and business around the world.”

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, more than 250 million customers and members visit our 11,156 stores under 71 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2014 sales of over $473 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

Contacts:

Walmart Media Relations
Brooke Buchanan, 800-331-0085
http://news.walmart.com/reporter

Source: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.