Walmart Hires EMEA CEO

Walmart Stores has promoted Shelley Broader, currently president and chief executive officer of Walmart Canada, to executive vice president, president and chief executive officer of Walmart EMEA.

In her new role, Broader will lead Walmart’s retail operations and oversee business development in Europe, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa and Canada. The company will announce Broader’s successor at a later date.

Broader joined Walmart Canada as chief merchandising officer in December 2010 and was promoted to president and chief executive officer in September 2011. She joined Walmart with more than 20 years of leadership experience across the North American retail industry including key leadership roles at Michael’s and Hannaford Bros.

“Shelley has been a strong leader since joining Walmart Canada and is the ideal person to leverage the tremendous potential the EMEA region holds for our company,” says David Cheesewright, president and chief executive officer, Walmart International, to whom Broader will report. “Shelley’s leadership of our business in Canada during a time of increased competition underscores her knowledge of the retail environment which will serve her well in her new role.”

Walmart operates more than 1,345 stores and has more than 285,000 employees in Canada, sub-Saharan Africa and the U.K.