Asdas Bendel takes international Wal-Mart role

Global retail group Wal-Mart has promoted Asda marketing head Rick Bendel to a new role of international chief marketing officer.

Bendel (pictured) will take responsibility for all 14 Wal-Mart territories outside of the US in the new role. Bendel was recently named chief marketing officer for Asda as part of a senior management reshuffle at the retailer in February.

The role has been designed to allow Bendel to provide “strategic support” on issues such as “price leadership” and “optimising effectiveness” of marketing operations to the chief marketing officers in 14 countries including Canada, Brazil and China.

Bendel, who joined ASDA three years ago as marketing director from advertising agency Publicis, then the Asda incumbent, will remain as the retailer’s chief marketing officer and will continue to be based in Leeds reporting to ASDA CEO and President Andy Bond.

Bond described the promotion as a “great endorsement of Asda’ by parent company Wal-Mart, adding the supermarket’s growth since Bendel joined has been “built on the foundations of a fully integrated marketing strategy.”

Mark Sinnock, former chief strategy officer and partner at current Asda agency Fallon, left his post to take over as Asda marketing director in March following Bendel’s promotion.