Who is John Furner, Walmart’s newly named CEO?

The top executive of Walmart U.S. is getting a promotion.

John Furner, who has led the nation’s largest private employer since 2019, will become Walmart’s global CEO in February, overseeing all the company’s international divisions. He will replace Doug McMillon, who announced that he will retire in January after more than a decade leading the retailer.

Furner rose from a summer intern working for Walmart in Mexico to being appointed to the head of marketing and merchandising for Walmart China, based in Shenzhen in 2011. In 2017, he was appointed to lead Walmart's membership warehouse, Sam’s Club, before rising to the helm of Walmart's U.S. division two years later.

In an industry often characterized by rapid change and relentless competition, Furner has been recognized for his collaborative leadership style. Walmart credited him with championing employee development, digital innovation and operational excellence throughout his tenure. 

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In a 2024 interview with FOX Business, Furner said a pillar of his leadership involves creating a network of people he can listen to for advice, especially during difficult times. Furner also learned that understanding one's weaknesses and knowing when to look to others for help underpins a good leader.  

"It's important to recognize who you are and what you bring in the environment. And that cannot be everything," he said. "A lot of situations come up that I'm calling someone on my team or asking who they know in the world that has thought through the type of situation we're facing and go get help and advice."

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There are instances when problems can be solved internally, but there are just as many times when a person has "to listen externally," Furner said. "A lot of times in the morning, in the evening, I'm listening to what's going on externally and just trying to keep perspective."

Part of this work means visiting the companies' locations and speaking to associates to understand what problems they are facing. Walmart U.S. has a workforce of 1.5 million across more than 4,700 stores.

His next role will include overseeing more than double that number. For instance, Walmart Inc. has a global footprint of over 10,750 stores and clubs worldwide, operating in 19 countries, and employs roughly 40% more people globally than in the U.S. alone.

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Though the chief executive believes it takes a team to run Walmart U.S., whose net sales reached $441.8 billion for fiscal 2024, Furner credits his personal life – from working on his grandfather's Arkansas farm to learning how to play the guitar – for shaping his business acumen. 

Furner credited his years of playing the guitar for his ability to listen and think more strategically. But working on his grandfather's farm in Arkansas, he said, taught him the importance of hard work and how to find solutions to problems with little means. 

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"I learned with him that the animals don't take Sundays and Saturdays and Wednesdays off. They're always up," he said. "You get up early in the morning, you go drive the fence line to make sure that a cow hasn't pushed his way through. In the afternoon, you pulled things out of the garden, and then you drove into town.… He sold watermelons and cantaloupes and everything you can imagine."