James M. (Jim) Lewis has been named chief executive officer of Florida-based Marilyn Monroe Spas and will lead the company as it expands its franchising both domestically and internationally, as well as launching a national beauty school business.

Lewis’ background includes high-ranking positions at multiple global brands such as Walmart, The Walt Disney Company – where he worked with Monroe Spas board chair Al Weiss – and PepsiCo.

Lewis replaces Niki T. Kearn, the company’s founder and previous CEO, who will remain on the board of directors.

Marilyn Monroe Spas currently has 10 locations in the US, including several locations at Hyatt hotels, and is registered to sell franchises in all 50 states. It recently received a US$20m (€18m, £13m) investment from JCR Holdings in its latest round of capital infusion.

“Being fortunate enough to work with Jim at Disney for 15 years and knowing first-hand how effective he is as a business leader, I couldn’t be more proud to have him leading our team and paving the way for success,” said Weiss.

Lewis most recently served as regional vice president and general manager of Walmart Corporation, where he led Walmart’s Central Florida operations and was responsible for 100 stores, more than 35,000 associates and US$9bn (€8bn, £6bn) in revenue.

“I have been fortunate to work for three outstanding, global brands in my career,” said Lewis. “Over the years, I have worked with – and for – some extremely talented people, including Al Weiss. When Al approached me about the opportunity to be the CEO of this growing company, I was interested in being part of creating a global brand from the ground up. I’m honoured and excited to make the transition from working in large corporations to leading this dynamic entrepreneurial start-up.”

Fabricio Bossle and Joao Guilherme, both of JCR Holdings, also joined Marilyn Monroe Spas’ newly formed board of directors.