John Furner

President and Chief Executive Officer Walmart

Last Reviewed: October 1, 2026

Executive Summary

John Furner became President and Chief Executive Officer of Walmart on 1 February 2026, succeeding Doug McMillon. He started on the shop floor: Furner joined in 1993 as an hourly associate at Store 100 in Bentonville and climbed through store management, buying, merchandising and global sourcing before running Sam’s Club and then Walmart U.S. He now leads about 2.1 million associates at a company with $713 billion of fiscal 2026 revenue, which in 2026 slipped to No. 2 on the Fortune 500 behind Amazon.

Career Highlights

• President and Chief Executive Officer of Walmart since 1 February 2026, and a director since November 2025.
• Executive Vice President and President and CEO of Walmart U.S. from November 2019 to January 2026.
• President and CEO of Sam’s Club from February 2017.
• Earlier chief merchant of Sam’s Club U.S., vice president of global sourcing, and roles in Walmart’s China operations.
• Joined Walmart in 1993 as an hourly associate.
• Chairman of the National Retail Federation board from 2022 to 2025.

Professional Journey

Furner earned a B.S. in business administration, in marketing management, at the University of Arkansas. In 1993 he joined Walmart as an hourly associate at Store 100 in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Over the next two decades he held roles across the business: assistant store manager, store manager, district manager, buyer, regional general manager and divisional merchandising manager. He also became vice president of global sourcing and worked in Walmart’s China operations, based in Shenzhen. He then became chief merchant for Sam’s Club U.S.

In February 2017 he was named president and chief executive of Sam’s Club. In November 2019 he became Executive Vice President and President and CEO of Walmart U.S., leading more than 1.5 million associates. He chaired the board of the National Retail Federation from 2022 to 2025.

In November 2025 Walmart announced that McMillon would retire as chief executive at the end of January 2026 and that Furner would succeed him. The board elected him a director on 13 November 2025, and he took over on 1 February 2026. David Guggina succeeded him at Walmart U.S.

In the second quarter of fiscal 2027, his second as chief executive, Walmart’s revenue rose 5.9 percent to $187.9 billion, global eCommerce sales grew 23 percent and the advertising business grew 38 percent. Furner said customers were choosing Walmart “because we deliver price, speed, and convenience across a broad assortment”.

Education

University of Arkansas

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Marketing Management