Walmart taps insider as U.S. CEO amid leadership team overhaul
Walmart Inc. has made several changes in its C-suite as incoming chief John Furner prepares to take the helm.
The retail giant said the changes, which take effect Feb. 1 and are outlined below, reflect a bench of leaders “who are deeply grounded in the company’s purpose and values, and have the vision and experience to guide our next chapter.”
Walmart U.S.
The retail giant named eight-year company veteran David Guggina as president and CEO of Walmart U.S., succeeding Furner, who will take the reins of the company on Jan. 31 from Doug McMillion, who is retiring after more than a decade at the helm. Guggina currently serves as executive VP and chief e-commerce officer for Walmart U.S.
Previously, Guggina was executive VP of supply chain operations for Walmart U.S. Prior to Walmart, spent nine years at Amazon.
“Under Guggina’s leadership, Walmart has built industry-leading delivery capabilities that today serve 95% of U.S. households in under three hours,” the company stated. “Guggina’s background in eCommerce and supply chain operations uniquely positions him to continue to drive our goal of being America’s favorite place to shop."
Walmart International
In other changes, Chris Nicholas, president and CEO of Sam’s Club U.S., will succeed Kathryn McLay as president and CEO of Walmart International. McLay, who has served in the role since 2023, will remain in the position until Jan. 31, and will continue at the company through the first quarter to help ensure a smooth transition.
Previously, Nicholas, served as COO for Walmart U.S. with responsibility for all aspects of Walmart’s U.S. store operations and supply chain, CFO for Walmart U.S. and CFO for Walmart International.
Seth Dallaire, executive VP and chief growth officer for Walmart U.S. is being named executive VP and chief growth officer for Walmart Inc. In his new enterprise role, Dallaire will have responsibility for global enterprise platforms, including Walmart Connect/digital advertising, Walmart+, Walmart Data Ventures, Vizio, Sam’s Club MAP, as well as a global marketplace platform.
Sam’s Club
Latriece Watkins, executive VP and chief merchandising officer for Walmart U.S., is being named president and CEO of Sam’s Club U.S. Watkins, who started her career with Walmart as an intern in 1997, has held a wide range of leadership roles across Sam’s Club and Walmart U.S., including merchandising, people and U.S. store operations.
“These internal promotions reflect our culture of opportunity and the depth of our leadership bench,” Furner said. “These leadership changes also mark a key step in how we organize for the future. Even the best teams need the right structure to win. As AI rapidly reshapes retail, we are centralizing our platforms to accelerate shared capabilities, freeing up our operating segments to be more focused on and closer to our customers and members."
