Walmart Taps Neil Ashe to Lead E-Commerce Globally

Neil Ashe, 44, will head up Walmart’s global e-commerce strategy. The former president of CBS Interactive will help the retail giant combine online innovations with its physical locations to create “the next generation of e-commerce,” according to CEO Mike Duke.

Ashe was the longtime CEO of CNET and helped broker that site’s sale to CBS in 2008. Later he became president but stepped down in 2010. Among his legacies at the company was the decision to cut off ad networks.

“We’ve got the audience, sales force, technical capabilities in-house. We have no need for third parties,” he told ClickZ at the time.

Duke said in a statement that Walmart’s deep pockets and mature online operations in the U.S., U.K., Brazil and Canada position it to dominate the coming wave of e-commerce innovation.

“Walmart is the best-positioned retailer to deliver this multi-channel experience to consumers, many of whom are already connected to the world through smart phones and social media,” he said.