Walmart Inc.
Leadership History
9 leaders · 1962 to present
John Furner is the CEO of Walmart, in the role since 2026. The first chief executive was Sam Walton, from 1962.
| Name | Role | From | To | Years in role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Furner | President and CEO | 2026 | Present | < 1 |
| David Guggina | President and CEO, Walmart U.S. | 2026 | Present | < 1 |
| John David Rainey | Executive Vice President and CFO | 2022 | Present | 4 |
| Greg Penner | Chairman of the Board | 2015 | Present | 11 |
| Doug McMillon | Former President and CEO | 2014 | 2026 | 12 |
| Mike Duke | Chief Executive Officer | 2009 | 2014 | 5 |
| Lee Scott | Chief Executive Officer | 2000 | 2009 | 9 |
| David Glass | Chief Executive Officer | 1988 | 2000 | 12 |
| Sam Walton | Founder and CEO | 1962 | 1988 | 26 |
Walmart is a public retailer listed on Nasdaq as WMT since December 2025, after more than five decades on the New York Stock Exchange. It reported $713.2 billion in FY2026 revenue and is led by President and CEO John Furner. The company is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.
President and CEO
2026 – Present
0 years (current)
Joined Walmart in 1993 as an hourly associate, held merchandising and operations roles including in Walmart China, led Sam's Club from 2017, and ran Walmart U.S. from late 2019 until becoming CEO.
Became President and CEO on February 1, 2026, succeeding Doug McMillon. He reshaped the executive team with internal promotions in January 2026.
President and CEO, Walmart U.S.
2026 – Present
0 years (current)
Guggina aggressively scaled Walmart's massive supply chain automation, deploying Symbotic robotics systems across the company's regional distribution centers.
As head of supply chain operations, he modernized the underlying logistics network that allowed Walmart to successfully compete with Amazon's two-day delivery speeds.
Executive Vice President and CFO
2022 – Present
4 years (current)
Rainey pushed Walmart's strategic expansion into high-margin alternative revenue streams, specifically retail media (Walmart Connect) and financial services.
As CFO, he aggressively executed multi-billion-dollar share repurchases while funding massive capital expenditures for store remodels and automation.
Chairman of the Board
2015 – Present
11 years (current)
As Chairman, Penner facilitated the massive $16 billion acquisition of Flipkart to guarantee Walmart a strong foothold in the rapidly growing Indian e-commerce market.
He successfully managed the transition of corporate leadership to Doug McMillon and actively oversees the Walton family's controlling stake in the retail giant.
Former President and CEO
2014 – 2026
12 years
Joined Walmart in 1984 as an hourly associate at a distribution center, ran Sam's Club and Walmart International, became CEO in February 2014, and retired as CEO on January 31, 2026.
Led Walmart's push into ecommerce, marketplace, advertising, and store-fulfilled delivery, and oversaw the Jet.com, Flipkart, and VIZIO deals.
Chief Executive Officer
2009 – 2014
5 years
Mike Duke served as chief executive of Walmart Inc. from 2009 to 2014.
Chief Executive Officer
2000 – 2009
9 years
Lee Scott served as chief executive of Walmart Inc. from 2000 to 2009.
Chief Executive Officer
1988 – 2000
12 years
David Glass served as chief executive of Walmart Inc. from 1988 to 2000.
Founder and CEO
1962 – 1988
26 years
Opened the first Walmart in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962, focused on small-town markets, and built company-owned distribution centers and trucking.
Founded Walmart and set its low-price, low-cost operating approach.
Tariffs, wage and logistics costs, pharmacy price caps under Medicare drug-price rules, and the cost of funding price cuts all pressure Walmart's thin margins. Amazon competes across ecommerce, marketplace, and advertising, while Costco, Target, Kroger, Aldi, and dollar stores compete for specific shopping trips. Walmart U.S. comparable sales growth of 2.6% in Q2 FY27 came in below analyst expectations.
Walmart has been led by six chief executives: founder Sam Walton (1962–1988), David Glass (1988–2000), H. Lee Scott Jr. (2000–2009), Mike Duke (2009–2014), Doug McMillon (2014–2026), and John Furner (2026–present).
Sam Walton practiced servant leadership, spent days visiting stores in his pickup truck, listened to front-line associate ideas, celebrated cost frugality, and established the legendary "Saturday morning meetings."
David Glass championed the rollout of the Walmart Supercenter, invested heavily in centralized computerized logistics and satellite communications, and expanded Walmart sales from $16B to over $165B.
Lee Scott guided Walmart through explosive growth to become the world's largest company, launched the $4 generic prescription drug program, and initiated Walmart's comprehensive corporate sustainability commitments.
Mike Duke led Walmart through the aftermath of the 2008 Great Recession, expanded operations across Latin America and China, and initiated early foundational investments in global ecommerce.
Starting as a summer warehouse unloader in 1984, McMillon transformed Walmart into an omnichannel titan: acquired Jet.com and Flipkart, launched Walmart+, built Walmart Connect, and grew revenue past $700 billion.
John Furner became President and CEO on February 1, 2026. A 30-year company veteran who began as an hourly store associate in 1993, Furner previously served as President and CEO of Sam's Club and Walmart U.S.
Gregory B. Penner serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors, having succeeded his father-in-law, Rob Walton (Sam Walton's eldest son), in June 2015.
Walmart refers to employees as "associates," offering debt-free college tuition through Live Better U, clear internal promotion pathways, and annual store-level profit-sharing bonuses.
Executive compensation is heavily weighted toward performance-based equity, tied to multi-year return on investment (ROI), constant-currency revenue growth, and operating income margin expansion.
Following Furner's elevation to corporate CEO, seasoned retail and supply chain executive leadership was appointed to oversee the flagship Walmart U.S. division.
Furner is focused on scaling high-margin profit streams (retail advertising, marketplace commissions, memberships), automating physical distribution, and driving customer loyalty across digital and physical stores.
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