Walmart Canada Appoints New President, CEO

Walmart Canada has revealed Venessa Yates is the company’s incoming president and CEO.

“Venessa is a tremendous retail leader with experience in multiple countries and functions,” says Guilherme Loureiro, regional CEO of Walmart Canada, Chile, Mexico and Central America. “She is the right person to continue to drive Walmart Canada’s growth trajectory and its transformation to become the country’s leading omnichannel retailer.”

Yates has worked with Walmart since 2016. Most recently, she served as senior vice-president and general manager of Walmart+, the company’s membership program. With a wealth of retail experience, she has assumed various leadership positions at prominent retailers worldwide, such as Woolworths and Aldi.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Walmart Canada team,” says Yates. “The Canadian business, with its 100,000 associates and impressive 30-year history, has always been a source of pride. We’re currently in growth mode and I’m excited about our future.”

The company announced that after a 25-year career at Walmart, Gonzalo Gebara, current president and CEO, will be leaving the company at the end of February, in order to return to Argentina to be with his family and pursue other interests.

During his time with Walmart Canada, Gebara has played a critical role in accelerating the company’s transformation toward becoming the leading omnichannel retailer in the country.

In addition to Yates, Steve Schrobilgen is joining Walmart Canada as COO of end-to-end. He will oversee operations, supply chain, real estate and format.

Schrobilgen currently serves as senior vice-president and business unit leader for Walmart in the western United States, a role he assumed in 2023. Over his 35-year career with Sam’s Club and Walmart, Schrobilgen has demonstrated leadership and operational expertise. His commitment and results-driven approach propelled him through a series of increasingly senior roles at Sam’s.

Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. With more than 100,000 associates, the company is one of Canada’s largest employers and is ranked one of the country’s top 10 most influential brands.