In a sign of changing times, gaming platform Roblox has hired Barbara Messing, Walmart’s former chief marketing officer, as its first-ever CMO.
Messing will lead all marketing, communications and employee experience at the San Mateo, California-based company, effective immediately. She will also be responsible for overseeing the development of the company’s brand strategy as it expands globally. Her full title is chief marketing and employee experience officer.
In a post on LinkedIn, Messing described her decision to move to Roblox as aligned with the overall trend of bridging physical and virtual worlds.
“Roblox is more than just a place with immersive digital worlds—it’s actually a medium of shared experiences,” wrote Messing. “As the world moves closer to where the offline and the online notion of experience becomes seamless, Roblox and its community of players and creators will be leading the way.” Messing was not immediately available for a call.
Messing stepped down from her position as Walmart CMO in August 2019 to return to California to be with her family. In April, seven months after Messing’s departure, Walmart named former Target vet William White as her replacement. Messing was also previously the CMO at TripAdvisor, and currently sits on the boards of Overstock.com and Diamond Resorts.