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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Eight-year Walmart veteran Marybeth Hays has been named the company’s executive vice president for consumables, health and wellness.
Hays, who had been chief merchandising, marketing and supply chain officer at Walmart China, will succeed Scott Huff, who is retiring after 23 years with Walmart. She is expected to fully transition into the position by June 1.
In China, Hays had oversight of merchandising, marketing, supply chain and financial services. She reported to Walmart China president and chief executive officer Sean Clarke, who has since become president and CEO of Asda Stores Ltd. She succeeded John Furner, now president and CEO of Sam’s Club.
Prior to joining Walmart China, Hays served as senior vice president for both the home and ladies apparel divisions for Walmart U.S. She joined Walmart in 2009 as senior vice president of home, apparel, jewelry and seasonal at Sam’s Club. Before that, she was a merchandising vice president with Lowe’s Cos. for eight years, leading the seasonal living and fashion bath divisions. She also held vice president-level marketing roles at Lexington Furniture Industries Inc. and Hanesbrands Inc.
She has been a member of the Walmart Foundation board of directors since 2012 and is joining the board of visitors of the Wake Forest University School of Business in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Before becoming executive vice president of consumables, health and wellness, Huff served as executive vice president overseeing merchandising operations for the U.S., a position to which he was promoted in June 2014. From 2009 to 2014, he was senior vice president of consumables merchandising for Walmart U.S.
Before that, he served as senior vice president of customer experience. He joined Walmart in 1994 as an intern.
As senior vice president of consumables merchandising, he was credited with bringing a new level of diligence and structure to the mix. “I believe we’ve reestablished a ‘store of the community’ in every category,” Huff said some years back. “More specifically, the various consumables categories more directly relate to the customers who shop those categories.”
Walmart, he added, had evolved from its entrepreneurial roots, yet was still being guided by those roots. “There are still elements of entrepreneurship at Walmart … and we believe we can be both large and entrepreneurial. Ultimately, the company is only as good as our people. In the end, that’s what I believe success is all about. That, combined with an ability to work effectively with each other and our suppliers to benefit our customer.”
“We want to partner with our suppliers,” he commented. “And we believe they feel the same way.”
