Walmart Inc. will lose its supply-chain chief next month to health care technology firm Medtronic.
Greg Smith, executive vice president of the U.S. division's supply chain, is taking a job with another company, Walmart U.S. chief executive John Furner said in a memo Thursday. Smith's last day at Walmart will be April 4.
Also on Thursday, Medtronic CEO Geoff Martha said in a LinkedIn post that Smith will join Medtronic on April 5 as executive vice president of global operations and supply chain.
Furner said Smith has helped lead Walmart's supply-chain unit under the pressure of the pandemic and "positioned the company to make substantial investments in supply-chain capacity and productivity in coming years."
Before joining Walmart, Smith headed global operations at Goodyear.
Furner said in his memo that Walmart is starting its search for Smith's replacement, and is looking within the company to fill the new role of supply chain chief operating officer. That person will lead the Bentonville retailer's distribution and fulfillment centers as well as its transportation fleet.