New CEO at Wal-Mart China

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has named Greg Foran, currently senior vice president for Wal-Mart International, as president and chief executive of Wal-Mart China.

The move brings fresh leadership to Wal-Mart China after its former chief executive officer and senior vice president for human resources resigned in October in the wake of a food-labeling scandal. Foran will relocate to China pending work visa approval, and assume his new role effective March 1.

Foran joined Wal-Mart in October 2011. Prior to that, he worked his way up the corporate ranks at Woolworths Supermarket Division in New Zealand and Australia and spent time at other Woolworths subsidiaries dealing with discount department stores and electronics retailers.

Wal-Mart entered the Chinese market and opened its first Supercenter and Sam’s Club in Shenzhen in 1996. As of Feb. 2012, Wal-Mart had over 370 units in 140 cities.

Back in October, Ed Chan, president and ceo of Wal-Mart China, and Clara Wong, the company’s senior vice president for human resources in China, have stepped down. The company said the ceo left for “personal reasons” and did not give a reason for Wong’s departure.