Walmart has named Target veteran William White as its new U.S. chief marketing officer, filling a post that’s been vacant since Barbara Messing left in August 2019.

White joined Target in 2013, where he was senior VP of marketing and has been in charge of the retailer’s largest seasonal campaigns and omni-channel efforts, along with key business categories. Before that he was an executive at Coca-Cola Co. for nearly a decade and began his career as a media planner and buyer for Starcom MediaVest Group.

In a memo to employees, Walmart Chief Customer Officer Janey Whiteside, to whom White will report, credited White and his Target team with developing “comprehensive marketing strategies” and executing “plans that worked to drive sales, build brand equity and create a loyal customer following.”

Whiteside called him “a customer-centric, innovative marketer” who “loves to build and nurture teams.” She thanked Rich Lehrfeld, senior VP-brand, creative and media, for his leadership of the marketing team during the CMO search. Lehrfeld has been interim CMO since January, a spokeswoman said.

Walmart already was getting marketing insights from another veteran Target marketer, former Target and DreamWorks CMO Michael Francis, who has consulted with Walmart since late 2015 and joined in a full-time role to handle some of Messing's duties last year. Francis, who left Target in 2011 before White joined, continues to work with Walmart, the spokeswoman said.

Lehrfeld will report to White, along with Ciara Anfield, VP-seasonal and cross-category marketing; Caroline Burd, senior director-marketing strategy and support; Brittney Duke, VP-general merchandise and services marketing; Karissa Price, VP-food, consumables and health and wellness marketing; and Saleel Sathe, vice president-performance marketing.