Agwunobi Leaves Walmart; Diab Named as New SVP

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of Bentonville announced April 2 that Dr. John Agwunobi, senior vice president of health and wellness, was no longer with the company.

The announcement was made to employees via an internal memo from Duncan Mac Naughton, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Walmart U.S.

“[Agwunobi] made a personal decision to leave the company,” said Walmart spokeswoman Danit Marquadt.

In the same memo, Mac Naughton announced Labeed Diab would replace Agwunobi at the home office.

Diab most recently was senior vice president of pharmacy operations for the Midwest division of Walmart U.S.

In a statement from Walmart, Diab said: “As a college student, I decided to pursue a career in pharmacy. Health care was my passion then, and it remains my passion today. With millions of customers shopping our stores every day, we have a responsibility to provide best-in-class health care for our customers.

“In this new role, I look forward to going back to my days of educating customers and offering health care products and services that will help our customers live healthier lives.”

Agwunobi was hired with great fanfare in August 2007. He joined the company after resigning as assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and previously served as an admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corp.