Walmart Canada Appoints New CEO

Walmart Canada announced the appointment of Horacio (Haio) Barbeito as its new president and CEO, effective in October. He will succeed Lee Tappenden in the role, who is leaving the company at the end of the year after a 23-year career at Walmart. The change in leadership comes as Walmart Canada has been experiencing soft sales.

Barbeito joined Walmart nearly 25 years ago as a trainee buyer and moved steadily up through the ranks, developing his career through roles that including leading replenishment in Argentina, and then serving as the supply chain lead and later the head of store operations at Walmart Puerto Rico. In 2012, he was named CEO of Walmart Argentina. He was appointed CEO of Walmart Argentina and Chile in 2015.

“We’re pleased that Haio’s next role will be leading Walmart Canada, where the team will benefit from his engaging approach and breadth of experience,” said Dirk Van den Berghe, executive VP, Walmart and regional CEO, Asia and Canada. “During his time in Argentina and Chile, Haio has led the business to consistently deliver strong performance while at the same time focusing on people through digital talent acquisition, talent development, and diversity and inclusion – resulting in increased engagement across the business.”

Tappenden will work with Barbeito through October and will then take on a global role as part of the international support team focusing on global sourcing and supplier leverage until his departure on January 31, 2020.