MISSISSAUGA, ON–As the company continues to transform to help Canadians save money and live better, Walmart Canada is pleased to announce recent senior executive leadership changes. These changes will help the company deliver on priority initiatives to accelerate growth and, most importantly, to support the customer experience.
(left to right)
Mohammed Abdool-Samad has joined as Chief Financial Officer
John Bayliss has been named Chief Administration Officer
Michon Williams has been named Chief Technology Officer
Joe Schrauder has accepted the role of VP, Operations & Chief of Staff to the CEO
“We are a people-led, tech-powered business and these updates to our executive team help position us to improve how customers are able to shop with us,” said Gonzalo Gebara, President and CEO, Walmart Canada. “Our best-in-class Canadian leadership team is pushing our business forward on the path to modernize retail.”
Mohammed Abdool-Samad has joined Walmart Canada as Chief Financial Officer. Mohammed leads the finance, strategic sourcing, audit, commercial finance, and business performance management functions at Walmart Canada.
Prior to this role, Mohammed was Group Chief Financial Officer at Walmart’s Massmart business in South Africa, joining the company in 2019. He has been pivotal in driving the Massmart turnaround plan, including the cost transformation program, the Finance transformation agenda and the privatization of Massmart. Before joining Massmart, Mohammed was Group Finance Director at a sugar producer and spent a decade in various executive finance positions at a major mining company.
John Bayliss will take a new leadership role as our Chief Administration Officer. John’s deep knowledge of the Canadian business, his ability to translate business strategy into enterprise operational plans and his passion for continuous improvement and simplification will be a tremendous asset as Walmart Canada launches this new function. This change will bring together Technology, Format Development, Real Estate, Transformation Services, Corporate Strategy and a new Data function.
Prior to this role, John served as the Executive Vice President, Transformation Officer and as the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain for Walmart Canada. John has been a passionate champion for modernizing our business with innovative projects around automation, blockchain, fleet electrification, and artificial intelligence. Before joining Walmart Canada, John worked in consulting for over 16 years, acting as a core member of the firm’s global retail leadership team and serving retail clients in Canada, the US, UK, Europe, and Australia.
Michon Williams has been promoted to the role of Chief Technology Officer. Michon will lead the Internal Product Management and the Technology Infrastructure teams. As a people-led, tech-powered business, Michon’s extensive background in product and portfolio management will ensure we are successful in advancing our business strategy through technology.
Michon previously held the role of VP, Technology (Product and Delivery) at Walmart Canada. Prior to Walmart Canada, Michon had a long career in technology leadership and online banking development in financial services. During her time here, she has established herself as a knowledgeable tech leader with a passion for her people and the products that she supports, who creates a learning and inclusive culture around her.
Joe Schrauder has accepted the role of VP, Operations & Chief of Staff to the CEO. Joe will lead the Project Management Office and assume responsibility for the Central Operations, and the Future Store Operating teams. This portfolio will create greater connection between corporate priorities and seamless implementation of strategies in store.
Joe is relocating to Canada from Bentonville, Arkansas where he held the role of Vice President, International Operations & Realty, Walmart International. He has spent his career with Walmart, beginning in-store and dedicating over 20 years of experience so far to Walmart U.S. and International Operations. Joe is known for his commitment to our customers, store associates and innovation, and will bring vast institutional knowledge and expertise tackling significant operational challenges to this new role.
About Walmart Canada
Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. Walmart Canada’s flagship online store, Walmart.ca, is visited by more than 1.5 million customers daily. With more than 100,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada’s largest employers and is ranked one of the country’s top 10 most influential brands.
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