Steve Nave, SVP and GM of Walmart.com US, has resigned. The retailer will replace him with former SVP Joel Anderson, who has been promoted to president of Walmart.com US, according to an internal memo provided to Direct Marketing News.
Anderson will report to Bill Simon, US CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, and Eduardo Castro-Wright, president and CEO of Wal-Mart global e-commerce and global sourcing.
Raul Vazquez, EVP of global e-commerce for developed markets, has also left the company, according to the memo.
Nave was promoted to SVP and GM of Walmart.com in January 2010. From 2006 to 2010, he served as COO of Walmart.com.
Anderson previously worked as SVP of BabiesRUs.com. He will relocate to Brisbane, Calif.
Wal-Mart also said e-commerce teams in the US, Canada, the UK and Japan will report directly to their respective store organizations, instead of the global e-commerce management. Teams in China, India and Latin America will report to the global e-commerce division with an indirect relationship with the international regional organization in these respective markets.
The Bentonville, Ark.-based company also said in a statement that it is “working to create a similar structure” to China and India for its Latin America e-commerce management.
Wan Ling Martello, EVP of global e-commerce for emerging markets, will continue to lead the company’s efforts in China and India. Martello reports directly to Castro-Wright.
“Winning in e-commerce around the globe is one of our top priorities,” said the memo, which was sent from Brian Cornell, president and CEO of Sam’s Club, Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Wal-Mart International, as well as Simon and Castro-Wright. “Our global e-commerce team under Eduardo’s leadership will continue to have direct responsibility for developing and leading our strategic plans to win.”
Wal-Mart acquired social media company Kosmix Corp. in May to speed up the development of social and mobile commerce technologies.
The company has seen sales at discount stores open at least a year fall for two years. US same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, fell by 1.1% during the first quarter of fiscal 2012. The company does not disclose the percentage of sales from the Internet.
Analysts at Wells Fargo Securities estimate that Walmart.com generates $6 billion each year, or less than 2% of the company’s total sales, according to Bloomberg.com.
Reuters first reported the personnel moves on August 12. Wal-Mart declined to provide additional comment.
