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Asda vet Ibbotson appointed SVP for Walmart U.S.

Wal-Mart Stores on Thursday confirmed the appointment of Mark Ibbotson to the role of SVP, innovations for Walmart U.S.

Jon Springer, Executive Editor

February 5, 2015

2 Min Read

Wal-Mart Stores on Thursday confirmed the appointment of Mark Ibbotson to the role of SVP, innovations for Walmart U.S.

Ibbotson comes to Walmart's U.S. division from its Asda affiliate in the United Kingdom, where he served as chief operations officer. At Walmart U.S., he will report to another Asda veteran, COO Judith McKenna, who was promoted to her role in December.

In his new role, Ibbotson will be responsible for simplifying and improving day-to-day store operations and processes while helping develop new and innovative ways to improve business. Jeff McAllister had previously served that same role. It was not immediately clear whether McAllister had been reassigned.

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At Asda, Ibbotson was responsible for the operation of more than 590 stores and helped ensure a consistent focus on the needs of its store managers, the company said. He joined the company in 2004 and has held a variety of roles in operations.  Walmart awarded Ibbotson with its Sam Walton Entrepreneur Award in 2013 because of his work on the "We Operate 4 Less" cost-efficiency program and for spearheading Asda’s growth in grocery home shopping.

Walmart said Ibbotson would relocate to the U.S. in coming weeks.

 

About the Author

Jon Springer

Executive Editor

Jon Springer is executive editor of Winsight Grocery Business with responsibility for leading its digital news team. Jon has more than 20 years of experience covering consumer business and retail in New York, including more than 14 years at the Retail/Financial desk at Supermarket News. His previous experience includes covering consumer markets for KPMG’s Insiders; the U.S. beverage industry for Beverage Spectrum; and he was a Senior Editor covering commercial real estate and retail for the International Council of Shopping Centers. Jon began his career as a sports reporter and features editor for the Cecil Whig, a daily newspaper in Elkton, Md. Jon is also the author of two books on baseball. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English-Journalism from the University of Delaware. He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. with his family.

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