Walmart Names John Furner President & CEO of Walmart US

Walmart announced John Furner will become the President and CEO of Walmart US, following a successful five years for the business segment under Greg Foran. Furner will report directly to Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillion, and the move will be effective beginning of November. Foran, who is assuming the role of CEO at Air New Zealand Limited, will stay on with Walmart through the end of January 2020 to ensure a smooth transition. 

“John Furner has done a fantastic job at Sam’s Club, and he will continue the momentum we have in Walmart US,” McMillon said. “John knows our business well, having held many different jobs in the company for more than 25 years, and he is helping transform it for the future. He has the experience and judgment to know what we should continue doing and what we should change. He embraces technology and new ways of working, and he keeps our consumers and Sam’s Club members at the center of everything we do, while delivering results for the business. I look forward to seeing his impact for our consumers and associates in Walmart US,” he said.

Furner, 45, started with Walmart as an hourly associate in 1993 working part-time in the garden center of the supercenter. He worked his way up through a number of frontline leadership roles and later became a store manager, district manager and buyer. He has held leadership roles in operations, merchandising and sourcing in Walmart US., Sam’s Club and Walmart International, where he served at Walmart China as Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer. Prior to becoming Sam’s Club CEO in 2017, he was CMO for Sam’s Club. Furner will partner with Walmart US ecommerce CEO Marc Lore to deliver a seamless omnichannel experience for Walmart’s US consumers.

“I’m grateful for this opportunity and ready to get started,” Furner said. “There’s no better place than Walmart US to touch the lives of millions of consumers and associates,” he said. “Together with the team, we will build on the progress under Greg’s leadership and continue to make Walmart an even better place to work and shop. I also want to thank the Sam’s Club team. My years with you have been amazing.”

“Greg Foran has made a huge difference for Walmart, and we are grateful,” McMillon said. “He built a strong plan from the beginning to strengthen the US business—a plan that made significant choices around investing in wages and benefits for associates and investing in price for consumers. Greg’s ability to innovate, whether it’s making our stores a competitive advantage in an omnichannel environment or equipping associates with next generation technology and training, has helped position us for the future,” he said.

Foran is leaving Walmart for an opportunity to lead Air New Zealand Limited. He has served as CEO of Walmart US since August 2014, and he first joined Walmart in October 2011. 

“It has been an honor to lead the team at Walmart US,” Foran said. “I am proud of what we’ve been able to achieve at a unique moment for retail and want to thank the associates who made it happen,” he said. “It is bittersweet to leave Walmart, but this incredible opportunity to lead the iconic Kiwi brand was one I could not pass up, and I’m looking forward to this next chapter.”