HanesBrands (asi/59528) has named a new top executive. Effective Aug. 3, Stephen B. Bratspies has been appointed by the board of directors as CEO and board member of the apparel basics giant. He will succeed Gerald W. Evans Jr., 61, who had previously announced his plans to retire after a 37-year career with the company.

Stephen B. Bratspies has been appointed as CEO of HanesBrands.

Bratspies, 52, has more than 25 years of retail, digital and consumer product leadership experience. Most recently, he served as chief merchandising officer at Walmart Inc., where he managed $330 billion in sales and drove a major merchandising transformation initiative, among other accomplishments. His prior leadership positions at Walmart included executive vice president of general merchandise, executive vice president of food and senior vice president of marketing. Bratspies has also held various management positions at Frito-Lay North America, a division of PepsiCo, and was a management consultant with A.T. Kearney.

“We’re confident that Steve is the ideal CEO to lead Hanes forward as we focus on our strong portfolio of consumer brands across the globe, rapid online growth and strong cash flow model,” said Ronald L. Nelson, Hanes’ chairman of the board, in a statement. “We look forward to an exciting new chapter for Hanes under Steve’s leadership and oversight.”

Bratspies said he is thrilled to be joining HanesBrands. “I have great respect for all that Hanes has accomplished throughout its rich history,” he said in a press release.

Evans will oversee the leadership transition until August and remain as an adviser to the company through 2021.