Academy Sports names Walmart’s Gloeckler as merchandising chief
Top Walmart executive Michelle Gloeckler, who landed 38th on Fortune’s list of most powerful women last year, will leave Bentonville to take over as executive VP and chief merchandising officer at Academy Sports + Outdoors.
A customer marketing and experience expert at Hershey prior to joining Walmart in 2009, the 50-year-old Gloeckler directed merchandising strategies for beauty, pets, pharmacy, and optical at Walmart as executive VP of consumables, health and wellness. She also led U.S. manufacturing and supplier training for the $250 billion business.
Texas-based Academy operates 210 stores in the South and Midwest. Much like Walmart, the company prides itself on providing a broad selection of merchandise at everyday low prices.
"Michelle is an industry-renowned business driver and general manager with experience leading transformation and growth within high-volume, fast-turn, big-box retail and CPG companies,” Academy president and CEO J.K. Symancyk said in a statement. “Our team will benefit tremendously from her caliber of leadership.”
Gloeckler will assume her new duties at the end of the month.
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