Walmart online marketing head returns to his roots

Brian Monahan, VP of marketing for Walmart.com, has left the chain (as of April 1) to go back to a startup he helped found in 2012.



Monahan, who joined Walmart in May 2013, is now serving as chief evangelist of San Francisco-based NewCo Festivals, a media and events platform he co-founded with John Battelle in 2012. NewCo hosts global events it calls “festivals” for start-ups and also publishes editorial content aimed at start-ups. In his new (or old) role, he will oversee brand strategy, sales and marketing, and product development.



While serving as VP of marketing at Walmart.com’s San Bruno, California offices, Monahan was responsible for brand strategy, customer acquisition and retention, and building audience monetization via advertising sales.



"We're thankful for the great contributions Brian made to the business and wish him the best with NewCo,” Walmart spokesperson Dan Toporek told Reuters. “We're in the process of identifying a successor.”



Walmart named a new chief marketing officer and also brought in Target veteran Michael Francis as a marketing consultant in December 2014. Online sales at the discount giant had steadily declined during fiscal 2014, though the retailer publicly attributed the decrease to overseas performance.



Monahan has held a variety of executive-level marketing positions, many at media companies, in a career stretching back to 1992. His role at Walmart.com was his first at a retailer.