Sameer Aggarwal has been promoted to chief executive officer of Best Price, Walmart India, effective April 1, 2020. He will report directly to Dirk Van den Berghe, executive vice-president and regional chief executive officer, Asia and Global Sourcing.
Aggarwal is taking over the CEO position from Krish Iyer, who is retiring from full-time management, and will assume the role of an advisor to Best Price, Walmart India after a successful eight years with the company.
“Aggarwal has done a fantastic job in the past two years. He led the charge to make our proposition more customer-centric, developing digital offerings to prepare for our omnichannel services in the future,” Van den Berghe.
“He has a keen ability to understand complex situations and take decisive action to accelerate our business. He is also a strong people leader who exemplifies our Walmart values of service, respect, excellence and integrity. I look forward to seeing him make a greater impact for our Best Price members and associates in India,” he added.
Aggarwal joined Walmart India in April 2018 as executive vice-president, overseeing strategy and administration and was promoted to deputy CEO in January 2020.
“I greatly appreciate the opportunity to lead our business in one of Walmart’s most important markets,” he said.
“I look forward to continuing to work with the outstanding team we have here to ensure Best Price, Walmart India remains a great place to work and a great partner to our members and suppliers. We have thrived under Iyer’s leadership, and I am grateful for all he has done to build the Best Price Walmart brand in India and strengthen relationships with our key stakeholders,” Aggarwal added.
“Thanks to Iyer’s years of leadership, Walmart has built a solid foundation for our cash-and-carry business in India. With best-in-class talent, strong corporate governance, a progressive digital mindset and close integration with local communities throughout India, we are well placed for the future,” Van den Berghe stated.
“It has been an honour to lead the Best Price team at Walmart India,” said Iyer, adding, “It is bittersweet to leave Walmart, but I am confident that Aggarwal will be able to take the business to the next level.”
Iyer will work with Aggarwal until June 30, 2020 to ensure a smooth transition. Following this, he will remain in an advisor role to ensure Walmart continues to benefit from his wealth of experience.
Aggarwal has more than two decades of international business experience, including leadership roles at Yum! Brands in Southeast Asia, Sainsbury’s in the UK and China and McKinsey & Co in Australia.
He holds an MBA from the London Business School and is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.