CEO of Walmart Chile to be CEO of Walmart Latin America WALMART DEPARTMENT STORES
* Eduardo Solorzano to remain chairman of Walmex
* Changes effective March 1
Jan 11 (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc said on Friday that Enrique Ostale will become president and chief executive of Walmart Latin America, succeeding Eduardo Solorzano, who will continue to serve as chairman of the board of directors at Wal-Mart de Mexico.
The move comes as the world's largest retailer remains under fire following a New York Times report in April 2012 that said Wal-Mart had intentionally stifled an early internal probe into allegations that Walmex officials had paid bribes to help build stores in Mexico.
Solorzano's career at Walmex began in 1985. According to the Times reporting, and to emails released by U.S. lawmakers on Thursday, Wal-Mart executives were made aware of alleged bribery in the fall of 2005.
Solorzano became the CEO of Walmex in early 2005 and held that role until early 2010, when he became president and CEO of Walmart Latin America.
Ostale had been president and CEO of Walmart Chile, formerly known as D&S, and will take on his new role in Mexico City on March 1, Wal-Mart said. He will be responsible for operations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua, which include 3,832 retail units and 373,000 employees.
Walmex's chief operating officer, Gian Carlo Nucci, will replace Ostale as president and CEO of Walmart Chile. Nucci joined Walmex in 1993.