Two top Walmart execs to exit the company 

Scott McCall, chief merchandising officer at Walmart U.S., is retiring after nearly 30 years with the retail giant. McCall will work in a consultant role with chief operating officer Chris Nicholas on end-to-end inventory management and flow of goods. Walmart promoted Charles Redfield to the chief merchandising job.

Janey Whiteside, the first chief customer officer at Walmart, is exiting the company after three years. Whiteside’s final day will be in March. Walmart said it is looking for candidates to fill her position and Redfield’s previous job as executive vice president of food at Walmart U.S.

The executive shuffle was announced in an internal memo from Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner on Friday (Jan. 14).

“Our Walmart U.S. business has done tremendous work these past two years to be more customer-focused and positioned for the future of retail. We’re now offering a seamless, omnichannel experience for our customers, building next-generation fulfillment capabilities and executing a powerful flywheel strategy,” Furner noted in the memo.

Furner said McCall began his Walmart career in store #1074 in Grenada, Miss. He thanked McCall for working to significantly increase and improve the items and brands Walmart offers and for overseeing the merger of Walmart’s store and e-commerce buyer teams into a single customer-focused unit.

Furner said Redfield is prepared to assume the chief merchandising officer role having previously served as chief merchant at ASDA and Sam’s Club, and having managed the U.S. grocery business the past six years. Redfield began his career 34 years ago as a Sam’s Club cashier.

Furner said Whiteside will begin a new chapter in New York with her family when she departs in March. She joined Walmart in 2018 from American Express. Whiteside has been based in New Jersey during the duration of her tenure. Furner said Whiteside took the new role as chief customer officer and spearheaded the rethinking of the business through the eyes of an omnichannel customer.

“That journey led to significant progress for the customer, including the move to one app and website, and the design and launch of our first membership program: Walmart+. Janey also launched Walmart Connect, established our product team, reshaped our financial services business and created a new look and feel for stores which is rolling out now nationwide. While we are sad to see her go, we respect her decision and wish her all the best. We’re currently searching for Janey’s backfill,” Furner noted in the memo.

The departures follow news that chief financial officer Brett Biggs will exit the company next year.