Wal-Mart replaces departed China COO, CFO

Shanghai —Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced it has appointed its current Canada finance chief Sean Clarke as COO over the company’s China operations, after former CFO Roland Lawrence and COO Rob Cissell left the company in May.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Clarke will be joined by Steve Smith, named chief marketing officer in China. Smith was senior VP at Delhaize Group.

Wal-Mart, which operates China’s biggest hypermarket chain after Sun Art Retail Group Ltd., is restacking its China leadership deck, as it has said it expects China to surpass the U.S. as the world’s largest grocery marketing by 2014.