Microsoft has hired Wal-Mart Stores executive Kevin Turner as its first chief operating officer (COO) since the departure of Rick Belluzzo in 2002, the company said Thursday.

Turner, 40, will be the strategic and operational leader of Microsoft's sales, marketing and service teams, as well as its fulfillment and IT operations, Microsoft said in a statement. His first day will be Sept. 8.

Kevin Johnson, Microsoft's group vice president of worldwide sales, marketing and services, will work closely with Turner on a smooth transition and will stay in his job until Sept. 30, according to the statement. After that, Johnson will take on a new executive role that will be detailed in the next 30 days, the company said. He has run sales, marketing and services for more than three years.

Former President and COO Belluzzo left Microsoft in September 2002 as part of a broad reorganisation of the company.

At Wal-Mart, Turner was president and chief executive officer of the giant retailer's warehouse club store chain, Sam's Club, running all operations for Sam's Club stores in the US. He was also executive vice president of Wal-Mart. Previously, he was executive vice president and chief information officer for Wal-Mart and oversaw IS operations for the company worldwide. He graduated in 1987 from East Central University, in Ada, Oklahoma, with a bachelor's degree in management.