Walmart e-commerce exec to take reins of Conn’s

Conn’s has tapped a retail veteran whose resume includes Walmart, Sam’s Club, Walgreens and Target as its next chief executive. 

The 131-year-old specialty retailer of furniture and mattresses, home appliances, consumer electronics and home office products appointed Chandra Holt as CEO and president, effective Aug. 9. She succeeds Norm Miller, who will transition to the role of executive chairman.  

Holt joins Conn’s from Walmart, where she most recently served as executive vice president for Walmart U.S. e-commerce. Previously, she was the chief merchandising and integration officer of Walmart.com where she oversaw the integration of Walmart’s stores and e-commerce merchandising divisions.

Before Walmart, Holt held a variety of positions at Sam’s Club, including COO of SamsClub.com. She joined Sam’s in 2015 as VP of proprietary brands, where she led product development, global sourcing, quality assurance and packaging teams. 

Prior to Sam’s Club, Holt held various leadership roles at Walgreens. Before Walgreens, she spent 10 years at Target in both merchandising and inventory management leadership roles.

“Chandra is a proven executive and veteran leader at some of the largest and most sophisticated retailers in the world,” said Miller, who had led Conn’s since late 2015. “She is the right person to lead the company through the next phase of our growth. I look forward to working closely with Chandra to ensure a seamless transition.”

Conn’s said that Holt will join its board, increasing the number of directors to nine.

“Conn’s enjoys a differentiated value proposition focused on providing consumers with high-quality, name brand products for the home with affordable financing,” stated Holt. “I believe Conn’s is well-positioned to continue to grow, innovate and capitalize on an enormous market opportunity. I am committed to continuing to serve Conn’s customers through a combination of retail innovation and best-in-class credit offerings. 

Conn’s operates more than 150 stores in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississipp, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Most recently, it has been expanding its footprint in the Sunshine State.

[Read More: Conn's continues expansion in Florida]