SVP Roehm

Two key marketing execs bolted from the nation's largest retailer earlier this week, creating a vacuum in the upper echelons of Wal-Mart's marketing communications department.

Julie Roehm has left her post as Wal-Mart's SVP of marketing communications, and VP of marketing communications Sean Womack has also left, Ad Age reports. Roehm joined Wal-Mart in February, assuming the new position of Senior Vice-President of marketing communications. Most recently, she spearheaded the $580 million Wal-Mart Stores agency review. Wal-Mart spokeswoman Mona Williams would only say, "I'm simply confirming they are both gone and left earlier this week but beyond that we don't have any comment."

Roehm's willingness to get personal with some of the candidates for the Wal-Mart account raised eyebrows at the retailer; she was seen driving the Aston-Martin of Howard Draft, Chairman-CEO of the DraftFCB, which eventually won the Wal-Mart account.

"I was hired by Wal-Mart as a change agent a little less than a year ago. One of my first orders of business was to help spearhead a comprehensive agency review. Now that I have established the Marketing Communications organization and completed the agency review, it's time to tackle my next challenge. I have enjoyed my time at Wal-Mart and I wish my many friends and colleagues there much future success," Roehm told Ad Age via email.