Wal-Mart Loses Two Top Executives in China

MARK HAMSTRA

BEIJING — Wal-Mart Stores last week confirmed that two of its top executives in China, Roland Lawrence and Rob Cissell, have both left the company.

“Rob Cissell and Roland Lawrence have resigned as senior vice president/chief operating officer and senior vice president/chief financial officer of Walmart China, respectively, due to personal reasons to explore other opportunities,” a Wal-Mart spokeswoman told SN. “We appreciate their contribution to the company and wish them well in their future endeavors.”

Wal-Mart did not name any successors for the positions.

“Walmart China's management team will continue to lead the company toward its future development,” the spokeswoman said. “China is a highly important market for Walmart. This year marks the 15th anniversary of Walmart China, and the company has made outstanding progress in expanding the business and developing talent.”

The company has grown to employ more than 90,000 people in China, she added.

In a Reuters report, one Hong Kong-based analyst was quoted as saying he did not think the departures would have a “big impact” on Wal-Mart's operation in China, although it could cause “an interruption.”

“Overall they have a deep enough talent pool to fill the gaps relatively quickly,” Torsten Stocker, an analyst with Monitor Group, was quoted as saying.

Walmart China includes about 333 locations generating $7.5 billion in annual sales, the company recently reported.