Mississauga, ON, 2016-Jul-02 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walmart Canada today announced the appointment of Lee Tappenden, Chief Operations Officer, Walmart Canada to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer, Walmart Canada, effective August 15. Tappenden joined Walmart in 1996 and has held a number of global leadership roles with the company, including Chief Merchandising Officer with Walmart Japan and Vice President of Merchandising for the International Division.
After joining the Walmart Canada leadership team in 2010 as Senior Vice President, Merchandise Operations, Tappenden also served as Chief Merchandising Officer. He sits on the Board of Governors for Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children at 170 hospitals across North America. Tappenden will report to David Cheesewright, President and Chief Executive Officer, Walmart International.
“Lee is extremely well poised to lead Walmart Canada and continue the momentum of growth we are seeing in this market,” said David Cheesewright, President and Chief Executive Officer, Walmart International. “He has demonstrated outstanding leadership throughout his career with Walmart internationally in both merchandising and operations, but he also brings to the role a real passion and heart for our associates and customers. Lee is the kind of person who genuinely cares about the well-being of the people who work in and shop at our stores every day – and that’s one of the things that make him an incredibly special leader,” he said.
“I’ve had the privilege of getting to know the team at Walmart Canada over the past six years,” said Tappenden. “Together, we have seen significant growth of our business, including a focus on fresh food and investments in eCommerce. I look forward to leading the team as we embark on an exciting time for our business and for our customers,” he said.
With today’s announcement, Bob Hakeem, Chief Administrative Officer, Walmart Canada will assume the role of Chief Operations Officer. After joining Walmart Canada in 2008 as Senior Vice President for the Walmart Canada People Division, Hakeem was named Executive Vice President, Human Resources in 2012. He has played an important role in developing talent and bench strength in the organization, while also helping guide the business through the introduction of Supercentres and other major changes in the market. Hakeem brings to the role more than 25 years of business experience and is an executive board member for the Retail Council of Canada.
About Walmart Canada
Walmart Canada operates a growing chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving more than 1.2 million customers each day. Walmart Canada’s flagship online store, walmart.ca is visited by 600,000 customers daily. With more than 95,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada’s largest employers and is ranked one of the country’s top 10 most influential brands. Walmart is committed to generating zero waste, being supplied by 100 per cent renewable energy and offering customers products that are produced responsibly. Walmart Canada’s extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart has raised and donated more than $250 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca.
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, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,527 stores under 63 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2016 revenue of $482 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.3 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.
Media Contact:
Anika Malik
anika.malik@walmart.com,
416.562.8193
Corporate Affairs, Walmart Canada
Source: Walmart Canada