Walmart Canada recently announced that Venessa Yates will take over as its new president and CEO. Making her appointment public, Guilherme Loureiro, Regional CEO of Walmart Canada, Chile, Mexico, and Central America, said, “Venessa is a tremendous retail leader with experience in multiple countries and functions. She is the right person to continue driving Walmart Canada’s growth trajectory and its transformation into the country’s leading omnichannel retailer.”
Venessa Yates began working for Walmart in 2016. Most recently, she oversaw Walmart+, the company’s membership programme, as its Senior Vice President and General Manager.
Thanks to her extensive retail experience, Venessa Yates has taken on several leadership roles at well-known retailers worldwide, including Walmart, Woolworths, and ALDI Stores.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Walmart Canada team. The Canadian business, with its 100,000 associates and impressive 30-year history, has always been a source of pride. We’re currently in growth mode, and I’m excited about our future,” Venessa Yates said.
The company announced that Gonzalo Gebara, the current Walmart President and CEO, will be leaving the company at the end of February to return to Argentina to be with his family and pursue other interests after a remarkable 25-year career at Walmart. Throughout his tenure at Walmart Canada, Gebara was instrumental in propelling the company’s transition into the nation’s preeminent omnichannel retailer.
The company also announced that Steve Schrobilgen, subject to authorisations, will be joining the company as Chief Operating Officer, End to End, handling Operations, Supply Chain, Real Estate, and Format. Since 2023, Schrobilgen has been with Walmart in the Western United States, where he is currently the Senior Vice President and Business Unit Leader.
In his 35 years at Sam’s Club and Walmart, Schrobilgen has proven to be an outstanding leader with a wealth of operational knowledge. His dedication and results-oriented methodology have helped him advance through progressively more senior positions at Sam’s.
Since joining Walmart US in 2023, Steve has led with an emphasis on fostering operational excellence, building dynamic and productive teams, and achieving financial outcomes in key business areas. Well-known for his honesty and high standards, he encourages colleagues to embrace change and innovation while building credibility and trust.
Walmart Canada serves 1.5 million customers daily through its more than 400 locations across the country. More than 1.5 million customers visit Walmart.ca, the company’s flagship online store, every day. One of the biggest employers in Canada, Walmart Canada employs over 100,000 people and is among the top 10 most powerful brands in the nation. Supporting Canadian families in need is the main goal of Walmart Canada’s extensive philanthropy programme. Since 1994, Walmart Canada has raised and given more than $750 million to Canadian charities.
Walmart Canada In Recent News
Walmart Canada will sell its fleet business to Canada Cartage as it focuses on expanding its stores and improving its supply chain across the country.
According to Canada Cartage Chief Administration Officer David Zavitz, Walmart Canada’s fleet business ships deliveries from distribution centres to over 400 stores across the country.
Canada Cartage will operate the fleet unit as a dedicated operation, with all Walmart fleet employees offered employment at their existing wages and comparable benefits.
“Canada Cartage has operated for 110 years, providing fleet services, such as DC-to-store network deliveries, to Canadian retailers, grocers, manufacturers, and distributors,” Zavitz said.
“Through Canada Cartage, we can serve customers even better and more flexibly and provide fleet employees with exciting growth opportunities at one of Canada’s largest and most trusted supply chain service providers,” Matt Kelly, VP of supply chain for Walmart Canada, said in a January 30 press release.
Meanwhile, Canada Cartage expects to strengthen its fleet outsourcing capabilities and accelerate its growth in Canada through the move. Walmart’s decision to sell its Canadian fleet business comes nearly a year after the retailer sold its intermodal assets to JB Hunt Transport Services. The intermodal deal, announced in February 2024, was intended to increase both companies’ volume and capacity.
Walmart Canada is also investing about 6.5 billion Canadian dollars (USD 4.51 billion) to build new stores and expand its supply chain, marking its biggest investment since opening its first store nearly 30 years ago.
The venture will involve building dozens of new stores, starting with five new supercenters in Ontario and Alberta by 2027. The retailer also plans to invest in modernising its distribution centres.
Walmart Canada COO Joe Schrauder said, “Across the country, we’re making strategic investments in our online and in-store offerings to be more relevant to more customers than ever before.”
The company joins a list of other retailers, including Target, in making efforts to add new locations to gain more market share, following the increasing popularity of free and curbside delivery services.
Image Credits: Walmart