Wayfair Elevates Ex-Walmart Exec to CTO Amid Tech Team Expansion

Wayfair will soon have a new CTO. On March 1, Fiona Tan will step up to become the online home goods retailer's top technologist. She replaces Jim Miller, who is retiring after three years in the role.

As CTO, Tan will lead Wayfair's team of more than 3,000 engineers, product managers, designers and data scientists and help set the company's technology strategy.

Tan is no stranger to Wayfair and its tech team, as she has been the company's Global Head of Customer and Supplier Technology since she joined in 2020. Before that, she spent six years at Walmart, where she served as SVP of U.S. Technology and held top roles at Ariba and TIBCO Software.

"As we move forward on our rapid growth trajectory, we are incredibly excited to welcome Fiona to the CTO role," Wayfair co-chairman, co-founder and CEO Niraj Shah stated in the company's announcement. "In just two years, Fiona has established an impressive track record of success across our Technology organization and is, without a doubt, the exceptional leader and technologist we need to advance our exciting and ambitious growth plans moving forward."

Wayfair experienced a surge in business in the last couple of years as homebound workers raced to outfit their new at-home offices and upgrade their living spaces. Wayfair brought in $3.1 billion in total net revenue in Q3 2021; while the number is down 18.7% from its peak year prior, it's still well above the $2.3 billion it generated in Q3 2019.

Alongside its revenue growth, the company has doubled down on its tech team, committing to hiring 1,000 new employees and launching new engineering hubs in Toronto, Seattle, San Francisco and Austin. These investments have led to new and enhanced features like its in-app video commerce experience and augmented reality visualization tools.

"I am delighted to be named Chief Technology Officer and honored to lead the highly talented, world-class team of technologists at Wayfair," Tan added. "I look forward to further building our strengths as a tech organization and leading our exceptional team of technologists as we advance the company's ambitious goals and next phase of growth, further cementing Wayfair's leadership role in retail."