Skip to main content
C
CorpDigest
Search

Costco Wholesale Corporation

Membership warehouse retailFounded 1983
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Leadership History

Costco: CEO History

3 leaders · 1983 to present

Who is the CEO of Costco?

Ron Vachris is the CEO of Costco, in the role since 2024. The first chief executive was James D. Sinegal, from 1983.

Current CEO
Ron Vachris (since 2024)
First CEO
James D. Sinegal (1983)
Leaders documented
3
Founded
1983
NameRoleFromToYears in role
Ron VachrisCEO2024Present2
Craig JelinekCEO2012202311
James D. SinegalCEO1983201128
Who have been the CEOs of Costco?
The CEOs of Costco documented here are James D. Sinegal (1983–2011), Craig Jelinek (2012–2023) and Ron Vachris (2024–present).
Who was CEO of Costco before Ron Vachris?
Craig Jelinek was CEO of Costco from 2012 to 2023, before Ron Vachris took over in 2024.

Company Overview

Costco Wholesale Corporation is an American membership warehouse club chain traded on Nasdaq as COST. Founded in Seattle in 1983 and based in Issaquah, Washington, it operated 939 warehouses at the end of fiscal 2026: 647 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, 115 in Canada, 43 in Mexico and the rest across Japan, the U.K., Korea, Australia, Taiwan, China, Spain, France, Sweden, Iceland and New Zealand. Members pay an annual fee to shop a small assortment of bulk groceries, household goods, electronics, fuel and services at low markups. FY2026 revenue was $303.2B, net income was $9.23B, and the company had 150.4 million cardholders. The massive American retail juggernaut was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1983, completely revolutionizing global retail by operating as a massive, membership-only warehouse club that aggressively limits product markups to essentially zero.

Ron Vachris

CEO

2024 – Present

2 years (current)

Key Decisions & Impact

Ron Vachris became President and CEO on January 1, 2024, after serving as President and Chief Operating Officer from February 2022. Before that, he led merchandising and regional operations. Costco says he began his more than 40-year career as a forklift driver and spent 28 years in warehouse management roles before moving into senior leadership.

Legacy

Current President and CEO; rose through Costco warehouse operations and merchandising before the 2024 succession.

Source →

Craig Jelinek

CEO

2012 – 2023

11 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Craig Jelinek became Costco's President and Chief Operating Officer in February 2010 while Jim Sinegal remained CEO. Jelinek led the company as CEO from 2012 until Ron Vachris succeeded him on January 1, 2024. He stayed in an advisory role through April 2024 to support the transition.

Legacy

CEO from 2012 through 2023; worked with Ron Vachris on the planned succession.

Source →

James D. Sinegal

CEO

1983 – 2011

28 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Jim Sinegal co-founded Costco with Jeff Brotman in 1983 and led it as CEO through 2011. Before Costco, he helped develop Price Club's merchandise and marketing strategy. Costco and Price Club merged in 1993. The low-cost warehouse model he helped establish combined a limited product assortment with membership buying power and low prices.

Legacy

Co-founder who set Costco's low-markup, limited-SKU, employee-first operating code.

Source →

Challenges & Strategic Context

Costco's main challenges are slowing paid-member growth and keeping a thin-margin model intact as costs rise. Paid members grew 3.8% to 84.1 million in FY2026, slower than sales, so future growth leans more on Executive upgrades, new warehouses and digital sales. Wage, healthcare and supplier inflation have to be absorbed inside a gross margin of about 11%, which leaves little room for error. Tariffs added cost uncertainty in 2025 and 2026, and Costco went to court to recover IEEPA tariff payments. Suitable 15-20 acre sites are scarce in mature markets, and international expansion means adapting the format to local food habits, rules and real estate. Amazon and Walmart's Sam's Club also keep raising the bar on delivery speed and app-based convenience.

Costco CEO and Leadership FAQ

Who is Ron Vachris and what is his career history at Costco Wholesale?

Ron Vachris became Costco's President and CEO on January 1, 2024. Costco says he started as a forklift driver, spent 28 years in warehouse management, and later led regional operations and merchandising before becoming President and COO in February 2022.

Source

Who was W. Craig Jelinek and what was his leadership record as CEO from 2012 to 2023?

Craig Jelinek led Costco as CEO from 2012 through 2023. He became President and COO in 2010 while Jim Sinegal remained CEO. Costco announced in October 2023 that Ron Vachris would succeed him on January 1, 2024; Jelinek remained an advisor through April 2024.

Source

Who was Jim Sinegal, Costco's first CEO?

Jim Sinegal co-founded Costco with Jeff Brotman in 1983 and was its first CEO, serving through 2011. Costco credits his Price Club experience with helping shape its warehouse model. The companies merged in 1993.

Source

Who was Jeffrey H. Brotman and what was his founding contribution?

Jeff Brotman co-founded Costco with Jim Sinegal, opening their first warehouse in Seattle in 1983. He chaired Costco's board until his death in 2017; he was a co-founder and chairman, not one of the three CEOs in this timeline.

Source

Who served as Costco's Chief Financial Officer for nearly four decades?

Richard Galanti was Costco's CFO for nearly 40 years. He stepped down from that role on March 15, 2024, and stayed in an advisory role through January 2025.

Source

Who succeeded Richard Galanti as Chief Financial Officer of Costco in 2024?

Gary Millerchip became Costco's Executive Vice President and CFO on March 15, 2024, succeeding Richard Galanti. He was previously Senior Vice President and CFO at Kroger.

Source

What does Costco's Code of Ethics say?

Costco lists four operating principles: obey the law, take care of members, take care of employees, and respect suppliers. It says that following these four principles serves its ultimate goal of rewarding shareholders.

Source

Who chairs Costco's board of directors?

Hamilton E. (Tony) James is Costco's non-executive board chairman. He became chairman in August 2017 after serving as lead independent director; his past roles include President and COO of Blackstone.

Source

Who is the CEO of Costco?

Ron Vachris is Costco's President and CEO. He succeeded Craig Jelinek on January 1, 2024, after more than 40 years with the company.

Source

Related Leadership Timelines

Compare executive leadership tenures and strategic transitions

Competitor

Walmart

View Leadership Timelines
Competitor

Target

View Leadership Timelines
Competitor

Amazon

View Leadership Timelines
Competitor

Kroger

View Leadership Timelines

Explore Costco

Core profile pages, founders and related research hubs for this company.

Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.