Walmart Inc., on Tuesday said it has promoted Sameer Aggarwal as Chief Executive Officer of Best Price in India effective April 1. He will report to Dirk Van den Berghe, Executive Vice President and Regional CEO of Asia and Global Sourcing.
Mr. Aggarwal is taking over the CEO position from Krish Iyer, who is retiring from full-time management.
“Sam (Sameer) has done a fantastic job in the past two years. He led the charge to make our proposition more customer centric, developing digital offerings to prepare for our omnichannel services in the future,” said Dirk Van den Berghe.
“He has a keen ability to understand complex situations and take decisive action to accelerate our business. He’s also a strong people leader who exemplifies our Walmart values of service, respect, excellence and integrity. I look forward to seeing him make a greater impact for our Best Price members and associates in India.”
Mr Aggarwal joined Walmart India in April 2018 as Executive Vice President, overseeing strategy and administration and was promoted to Deputy CEO in January 2020.
“I greatly appreciate the opportunity to lead our business in one of Walmart’s most important markets,” said Mr. Aggarwal. “I look forward to continuing to work with the outstanding team we have here to ensure Best Price, Walmart India remains a great place to work and a great partner to our members and suppliers. We have thrived under Krish’s leadership and I am grateful for all he has done to build the Best Price Walmart brand in India and strengthen relationships with our key stakeholders.”
“Thanks to Krish’s years of leadership, Walmart has built a solid foundation for our cash-and-carry business in India. With best-in-class talent, strong corporate governance, a progressive digital mindset and close integration with local communities throughout India, we are well placed for the future,” Van den Berghe added.
“It has been an honor to lead the Best Price team at Walmart India,” said Krish Iyer. “It is bittersweet to leave Walmart, but I am confident that Sam will be able to take the business to the next level.”
Mr. Iyer will work with Mr. Aggarwal until June 30 to ensure a smooth transition. Following this, he will remain in an advisor role to ensure Walmart continues to benefit from his wealth of experience.
Mr. Aggarwal has more than two decades of international business experience, including leadership roles at Yum! Brands in Southeast Asia, Sainsbury’s in the U.K. and China and McKinsey & Co. in Australia.
Walmart India owns and operates 28 Best Price Modern Wholesale stores in nine States across the country and has integrated omni-channel in all stores. It also has two Fulfillment centres in India.
As per a Walmart statement, the e-tailert offers consumers a mix of modern shopping experiences and helps local sellers and suppliers, including kiranas, MSMEs, farmers, artisans and women-owned businesses, to modernize, prosper and create local jobs in the country.
Walmart Labs has over 3,500 associates developing cutting-edge retail and e-commerce technology in India. Walmart’s Bangalore Global Sourcing hub supplies global markets with high-quality India-made goods.
