Walmart’s McMillon Leaves Tech-Savvy Legacy

Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon will retire Jan. 31, 2026, and he will be succeeded by Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner, the company said in a Friday (Nov. 14) press release.

McMillon will remain on the board of directors until the June 2026 annual shareholders’ meeting and will serve as an adviser to Furner through Jan. 31, 2027, the end of the company’s fiscal year 2027, according to the release and a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Furner was elected to the board of directors, effective immediately, the release said.

He will continue in his current role as CEO of Walmart U.S. until Jan. 31, 2026, and Walmart plans to appoint his successor before the end of fiscal year 2026, per the release and the filing.

Furner has served as president and CEO of Walmart U.S. since November 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile. He joined the company as an hourly associate in 1993, according to the release. After that, Furner held several leadership roles at the company’s membership warehouse club, Sam’s Club; served as senior vice president, chief merchandising officer and chief marketing officer at Walmart China; and served as president and CEO of Sam’s Club from January 2017 to October 2019, per his LinkedIn profile.

When Furner was named president and CEO of Walmart U.S., McMillon said Furner had done “a fantastic job” at Sam’s Club and “embraces technology and new ways of working.”

Greg Penner, chairman of Walmart Inc., said in the Friday press release that Furner has served in leadership roles across the company’s three operating segments, understands every dimension of its business and is “the right leader to guide Walmart into our next chapter of growth and transformation.”

“John’s six-year leadership of our Walmart U.S. business during a time of rapid change, marked by digital acceleration and strong associate engagement, has positioned us for continued success,” Penner said.

Penner thanked McMillon on behalf of the board for “his extraordinary leadership and incredible impact he has had on our company.”

McMillon joined Walmart as an hourly associate in 1984 and later served in senior leadership roles across each of the company’s business segments, according to his LinkedIn profile. He has served as president and CEO of Walmart since February 2014.

“Over more than a decade as CEO, Doug led a comprehensive transformation by investing in our associates, advancing our digital and eCommerce capabilities, and modernizing our supply chain, resulting in sustained, robust financial performance,” Penner said in the release. “He leaves Walmart stronger, more innovative and better aligned with our purpose to help people save money and live better.”