BENTONVILLE, AR  — Walmart has promoted David Tovar to VP of corporate communications, following Mona Williams’ retirement from the company after 11 years.

Tovar, who has been with Walmart for seven years, will report into Dan Bartlett, EVP of corporate affairs, effective Feb. 1, 2014. 

After joining Walmart in 2006, Tovar was promoted in 2011 to VP of corporate communication in the US. Most recently, he led the communications around Walmart’s initiative to hire veterans, US manufacturing and worker opportunities. He’s also worked on sustainability and the global retailer’s CSR efforts.

“He has also been on the media front lines, acting as the lead spokesperson for many of the company's most recent high profile issues including the ongoing FCPA investigation and the organized labor campaign against Walmart,” Bartlett said in an internal memo sent last month that was seen by the Holmes Report.

Bartlett added, Tovar has “become a counselor and advisor to [Walmart US president/CEO] Bill Simon and his leadership team on business issues beyond communications.”

Meanwhile, Williams’ retirement transition has been in motion since Bartlett joined Walmart in June, according to the memo. 

“Mona began her career with Walmart as some of the company’s most vocal critics were ramping up their outreach to the news media,” Bartlett wrote. “She helped shape a more proactive and transparent communications strategy, often on the front lines delivering Walmart messages to a wide range of audiences.”