​​BENTONVILLE, AR - Walmart is eyeing growth for its Neighborhood Market business operations, tapping the expertise of a new executive. The retail chain has announced Kyle Kinnard as its newest Senior Vice President of the Neighborhood Market business unit.

Kinnard currently serves as SVP and General Merchandise Manager of Home at Walmart U.S. According to reports from Yahoo! Finance, he previously worked for Sam’s Club for more than two decades, starting as a cashier.

During his tenure, Kinnard served in a variety of leadership roles including Senior Director of Operations in China and Senior Vice President and President of Sam’s Club Mexico, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Kinnard is taking over for Kelvin Buncum, who is retiring from the role after more than 12 years. Most recently, Buncum served as Executive Vice President of Neighborhood Market.

“Kyle brings a deep-seated knowledge of operational transformation, item merchandising and inventory management,” Cedric Clark, Executive Vice President of Store Operations, said in a recent LinkedIn post. “His international experiences will also help Walmart U.S. learn best practices from our strong international businesses.”

The announcement of Kinnard’s move comes almost two months after Buncum announced his upcoming retirement on LinkedIn.

For more updates on this strategic leadership change, stick with us at ANUK.