Walmart Vice Chairman Retiring Next Year

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said this week that Eduardo Castro-Wright, vice chairman and CEO of the Bentonville, Ark.-based company’s global e-commerce and global sourcing businesses, will retire on July 1, 2012. Walmart intends to appoint successors to lead these businesses by the end of January, after which Castro-Wright will help with the transition.

“Eduardo has made many contributions at Walmart, beginning in Mexico and continuing until today,” noted Walmart CEO Mike Duke. “He has been a strong advocate for our customers, and in every assignment has brought passion and commitment to the job. He has also built talented teams wherever he has led.”

Castro-Wright, 56, joined Walmart in 2001 as president and COO of Walmart Mexico and was promoted to president and CEO of that business two years later. He was also COO for a short period until becoming president and CEO of Walmart U.S. in 2005. He rose to the position of vice chairman in 2008 and took on his current responsibilities in August of last year. Since that time, Castro-Wright has guided global sourcing and the expansion of the company’s global e-commerce technology, including its acquisitions into social and mobile commerce.