Chief customer officer, chief marketing officer named

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart has recruited experienced women executives to fill two top posts, including the newly created position of chief customer officer.

Janey Whiteside

That post is going to Janey Whiteside, an American Express Co. veteran who is set to assume her new job on August 1.

The company is also bringing in Barbara Messing, an executive with Trip Advisor Inc., a provider of consumer reviews aimed at helping travelers plan their journeys and make reservations. Messing will fill the role of chief marketing officer, a position recently vacated by Tony Rogers, who moved to a new role as chief member officer at Sam’s Club.

The appointments were announced by Walmart U.S. chief executive officer Greg Foran and Walmart U.S. eCommerce CEO Marc Lore in an employee memo obtained by media organizations.

Whiteside spent more than two decades at New York-based American Express, most recently as senior vice president of global charge products, benefits and services.

Barbara Messing

“As we work together to be the best retailer, no matter how our customers shop, Janey will play a critical role looking after our brand and thinking through the customer journey — from acquiring new customers to their shopping experience and resolving any issues they may have,” Foran and Lore said in their memo. “This holistic view will ensure we are creating seamless, cohesive and best-in-class experiences.”

Whiteside will work out of Hoboken, N.J., the headquarters of Jet.com, where Lore is based. She will report to Foran and Lore.

Messing will join the company in mid-August and will be based in Bentonville, Ark. At TripAdvisor, she was credited with helping guide the company’s diversification from a media site by adding e-commerce and trip-booking functions.