Judith McKenna has been tapped to chief operating officer of Wal-Mart U.S.

BENTONVILLE, ARK. — Judith McKenna has been promoted to chief operating officer of Wal-Mart U.S. She succeeds Gisel Ruiz, who has been named executive vice-president of Wal-Mart’s International People Division.

“One of the great things about Wal-Mart is the depth and breadth of talent at all levels of our organization,” said Greg Foran, president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart U.S. “Around the globe, we have some of the best leaders in retail because of our focus on developing talent and our commitment to creating opportunities for diverse experiences.”

Ms. McKenna joined Wal-Mart nearly 20 years ago as part of its Asda leadership team in the United Kingdom, where she was the chief financial officer and c.o.o. She moved to Wal-Mart International as executive vice-president of strategy and international development, and most recently she was chief development officer for Wal-Mart U.S. As c.o.o., she will lead Wal-Mart’s small format stores, development of new formats, expansion of Wal-Mart services and the integration of digital commerce into the retailer’s existing U.S. stores.

“At her core and by experience, Judith is a retailer who has made major contributions to our business throughout her career,” Mr. Foran said. “It’s exciting to bring her skills in managing store operations, small format growth, logistics and e-commerce to an expanded role in our U.S. operations. Her knowledge of global best practices and her success in leading our associates around the world will help drive our Wal-Mart U.S. business forward.”

Gisel Ruiz has been named executive vice-president of Wal-Mart’s International People Division.

Ms. Ruiz started as a management trainee and gained experience across key roles in labor relations, operations and human resources. Most recently as c.o.o. for Wal-Mart U.S., she led the retailer’s focus on improving operational efficiencies, opened more than 400 new U.S. stores, and increased representation of women and people of color across operations leadership roles. As executive vice-president of Wal-Mart’s International People Division, Ms. Ruiz will drive Wal-Mart’s human resources strategy and priorities that reach more than one million associates in 26 countries around the world.