Get to know Walmart’s new CEO, John Furner: From an hourly worker in the past to leading the top company in the Fortune 500 today

The incoming chief executive, John Furner, began his career at the large – scale retailer as an hourly worker stocking shelves. Now, the biggest U.S. company in terms of revenue is relying on him to lead it through its next stage.

CEO Doug McMillon stepped down in November after leading the No. 1 company on the 500 for a decade. His last day was January 31. Taking his place is Furner, who will start his tenure as CEO on Sunday after previously serving as the president and CEO of Walmart’s U.S. operation.

Furner, 52, started his Walmart journey at a garden center in the company’s hometown of Bentonville, Ark. Now, he will take on the responsibility of leading the company’s 2.1 million employees and its operations in nearly… across 19 countries.

After studying marketing management at the University of Arkansas, Furner advanced through the ranks at Walmart, moving from store manager to district manager and buyer. Then, on the corporate side, he served as divisional general manager and VP of global sourcing. He even spent two years in Shenzhen with Walmart China, managing merchandising and marketing.

Before overseeing Walmart U.S., Furner was the CEO of Sam’s Club.

“John understands every aspect of our business—from the sales floor to global strategy. He has proven that he can achieve results while upholding our values,” Greg Penner, Walmart’s chairman of the board, said in a…

As he was leaving, McMillon also praised Furner, saying that he had worked closely with him for 20 years.

“He loves this company and his fellow employees. He has a deep understanding of our business, and he has the right qualities to lead us into the future. He’s a merchant, an operator, an innovator, and a builder,” McMillon said on Friday in a… on…

Furner’s investment in employees

Partly because of his modest start as a store associate, Furner has, during his tenure, helped oversee a major overhaul of how Walmart pays its store managers. In an attempt to boost morale and employee retention, Walmart offered its top – performing managers pay packages worth between $420,000 and…

The workers’ base salary was increased to between $130,000 and $160,000—more than double the… The rest consists of large stock grants and annual bonuses, which Furner said were intended to “make managers feel like owners.”

The company also reintroduced a bonus program for store employees. Some eligible employees could potentially earn up to $1,000 per year from the program based on their years of service.

Even as AI poses a threat to jobs across various industries, Furner has stated that the company’s employee count will remain stable over the next five years, even if workers become more productive. The jobs that do disappear will be replaced with new positions within the company, he added.

“We’re extending people’s careers, and those jobs pay better. The attrition rates are very low,” Furner said during the… conference in Park City, Utah in September.

Partly due to these changes, the company secured a top 10 spot on the list in the retail sector for 2024.

Why Walmart chose John Furner as CEO

Part of Furner’s management philosophy may have been influenced by his family and early experiences. As a child, working on the farm with his grandfather, Furner learned the value of hard work.

“I learned with him that the animals don’t take Sundays, Saturdays, or Wednesdays off,” he said, according to… “They’re always up. You get up early in the morning and drive along the fence line to make sure a cow hasn’t broken through.”

His grandfather’s hands – on approach also applied to problem – solving. When he needed something, Furner’s grandfather, who he said was a product of the Great Depression, preferred to create a solution by hand rather than buying something.

“In business, there are so many unique situations that come your way, and there may not be a clear answer. But with your team, your resources, American ingenuity, and creativity, there’s probably a way to solve it,” he said.

Furner’s inclination towards hard work and creative problem – solving was useful in his most recent high – profile roles as the president and CEO of Sam’s Club and then Walmart U.S. During his time as the leader of Sam’s Club, Furner oversaw 11 consecutive quarters of positive growth and took on the competitor… partly by streamlining the company and closing stores.

Then, when the company faced an unprecedented challenge in the form of the COVID – 19 pandemic, Furner helped the company strengthen its supply chain and fulfillment centers to meet the situation.

As he told Matthew Shay, the president and CEO of the National Retail Federation in 2020, Walmart reshaped its business, de – prioritizing optical and auto – care centers while investing in its grocery business to meet the demand during what he called the “stock – up phase,” when customers rushed to build up their supplies of everything from toilet paper to consumables.

Then, the company made significant investments in fulfillment centers as well as pick – up and delivery services to adapt to the “work from home” era and the soaring online purchases.

As a result, net sales increased in both 2020 and 2021, despite the disruption caused by the pandemic. In 2021 alone, Walmart’s net sales for its U.S. business grew by an astonishing $29 billion, far exceeding the previous year’s sales growth, while its e – commerce operations grew by 79%.

A version of this story was published on… on Nov. 14, 2025.

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