BENTONVILLE, Ark.—Labeed Diab has been named senior vice president and president of health and wellness at Walmart U.S., a division of Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT). In the role, Diab succeeds John Agwunobi, MD who held that position for several years and recently shared his decision to leave the company, an internal announcement said.

A letter from Duncan MacNaughton, executive vice president and chief merchandising offer of Walmart U.S. noted that the health and wellness category is an important one for Walmart and its customers, and the company is committed to investing in its future growth. MacNaughton said, “Labeed has a strong background in operations and health care, most recently leading the Midwest Division for Walmart U.S. as senior vice president. Under his leadership, this division became the first to penetrate the urban market by leading the opening of the small format concept stores throughout Chicago.”

Diab began his career as a pharmacy manager with American Stores (Jewel Osco/Savon Drugs) and also served in regional and divisional operations roles with CVS Caremark and Rite Aid before joining Walmart in 2009 as director of operations. He received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy with a Minor in Business Administration from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Said Diab, “As a college student, I decided to pursue a career in pharmacy. Health care was my passion then and it remains my passion today. With millions of customers shopping our stores every day, we have a responsibility to provide best-in-class health care for our customers. In this new role, I look forward to going back to my days of educating customers and offering health care products and services that will help our customers live healthier lives.”

Diab and his family will relocate from the Chicago area to Northwest Arkansas in the coming months.

MacNaughton’s letter continued, “One of our core merchandising principles is to deliver high-quality, innovative products and services to our customers at prices they can afford. This has resulted in the creation of health and wellness solutions that have significantly lowered the cost of health care for millions of Americans. Much of this work has been led by Dr. John Agwunobi, , who recently shared his decision to leave the company.

“Dr. Agwunobi joined Walmart in September 2007, and during his tenure has helped make a difference on important issues that matter to our customers and associates. He made enhancements to the prescription program, which drove down prescription medication costs and provided ongoing savings through our pharmacy offerings. And he has continued to drive innovation in the space by testing new concepts that position Walmart well for the future. Now, as the face of health care in America continues to change, he’s looking forward to exploring and engaging in other areas in the field.”