John Furner, who is set to assume the role of the CEO of Walmart come January, once used to stock shelves as an hourly wager at the mega retailer when he joined it.
Now, the largest US company in terms of revenue is looking up to him to guide its operations through a new chapter.
Furner was announced as the new Walmart CEO after current chief executive Doug McMillon said he will retire early next year, after turning America’s largest retailer into a tech-powered giant and spearheaded a period of robust sales growth since 2014.
That onus now lies on John Furner to navigate Walmart through new challenges that have concerned retailers over the last 11 months, after Donald Trump’s Presidency and his subsequent tariff and other economic policies.
“John understands every dimension of our business—from the sales floor to global strategy. He has proven he can deliver results while living our values,” Greg Penner, Walmart’s chairman of the board, said in a statement.
Who is John Furner, new Walmart CEO?
John Furner started at Walmart in 1993 when he stocked shelves at a garden centre at the company’s store in Bentonville, Arkansas. Now, he will lead a force of 2.1 million employees and the company’s nearly 11,000 stores across 19 countries.
Furner is a graduate in marketing management from the University of Arkansas.
After joining as an hourly employee, Furmer rose through ranks at Walmart from store manager to district manager and buyer. He then went on to the corporate side as divisional general manager, and VP of global sourcing.
Most recently, John Furner has served as the president and CEO of first Sam’s Club and then Walmart US.
His work at Walmart has earned him credit from McMillion himself.
“He loves this company and his fellow associates, he deeply understands our business so well, and he has the right characteristics to lead us into the future. He’s a merchant, an operator, an innovator and a builder,” he said in a post on LinkedIn.
Since taking charge of Walmart US in 2019, Furner has spearheaded the launch of key initiatives including Walmart , the company’s premium membership program, and advertising, new sources of profit that the company says will reshape its future.
He has invested in wages, lifting the average hourly pay to more than $17. He also modernised the company’s warehouses and distribution centers to enable speedier deliveries and has been instrumental in building Walmart’s advertising business, Walmart Connect, into a $4 billion operation since it launched in 2021.
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