Wal-Mart creates two U.S. executive posts

BENTONVILLE, Ark., April 6 (UPI) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Friday named two senior executives to new positions running U.S. stores and human resources, effective immediately.

William Simon, 48 -- who oversaw the company's launch of $4 generic drugs as head of the U.S. pharmacy, vision and mini-clinic businesses -- is now chief operating officer of U.S. stores.

Patricia Curran, 43 -- who rose from an hourly worker in the pets department to executive vice president of U.S. store operations -- is now the U.S. executive vice president of people.

The appointments, which follow the naming of a new chief merchant and a new chief marketing officer this year, are "one more step in solidifying the senior management team that will help us reach our business objectives," U.S. stores Chief Executive Officer Eduardo Castro-Wright said.

U.S. stores account for two-thirds of Wal-Mart's $345 billion yearly revenue. Comparable U.S.-store sales, seen as a key measure of revenue gains, rose 0.9 percent in February compared with 3.5 percent a year earlier.

The management reshuffling comes a week after Castro-Wright was told he would report to Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott" class="tpstyle">H. Lee Scott Jr. Castro-Wright previously reported to a vice chairman.