Wal-Mart is moving its chief financial officer from Canada to the chief operating role in China and has hired a new exec to lead marketing there, according to news reports. The changes signal the retailer's growing interest in expanding in the country.
Sean Clarke will become chief operating officer in China while Steve Smith joins as CMO from Brussels-based Delhaize Group. Clarke takes over from Rob Cissell, who abruptly quit as COO in May along with the retailer's chief financial officer.
Smith has worked at Delhaize, a supermarket chain, since July 2008, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was most recently executive vice president of brand strategy and marketing.
Wal-Mart expects China to overtake the U.S. as the world's largest grocery market in the next three years. Last month, the company signed an agreement to set up e-commerce headquarters in Shanghai. In May, Wal-Mart announced an investment in Yihaodian, an online retailer launched in China in 2008. (Bloomberg, Reuters)
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(Source: BNet)
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