Walmart Inc. named a new CEO to take over the retailer’s top leadership role in 2026 as current CEO Doug McMillon leaves a position he has held since 2014.
McMillon will be succeeded as president and CEO by John Furner, who has served as the president and CEO of Walmart U.S. since 2014. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company announced the transition following a decision by its board of directors, which also granted Furner a board seat, effective immediately.
Walmart is No. 2 in the Top 2000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of North America’s online retailers by their annual ecommerce sales.
In addition, Walmart is No. 8 in the Global Online Marketplaces. That database ranks the top such marketplaces by third-party gross merchandise value (GMV).
Digital Commerce 360 projects that Walmart’s online sales will reach $148.59 billion in 2025.
Walmart web sales by year
Who is Walmart’s new CEO, John Furner?
John Furner, the incoming president and CEO at Walmart Inc. and current president and CEO of Walmart U.S. | Image credit: Walmart press release
John Furner will step into his role as Walmart’s new president and CEO on Feb. 1, 2026, the retailer announced on Nov. 14. The elevated role marks the culmination of a rise that began in 1993, when he began working at Walmart as an hourly associate. He has held his current role overseeing Walmart U.S. since 2019.
“John Furner is the right leader to guide Walmart into our next chapter of growth and transformation,” said Greg Penner, chairman at Walmart. “After starting as an hourly associate and being with us for over 30 years in a variety of leadership roles across all three of our operating segments, John understands every dimension of our business — from the sales floor to global strategy.”
Penner praised Furner’s accomplishments and framed him as the best candidate to succeed McMillon.
“He has proven that he can deliver results while living our values,” Penner stated. “John’s six-year leadership of our Walmart U.S. business during a time of rapid change, marked by digital acceleration and strong associate engagement, has positioned us for continued success.”
Doug McMillon’s departure as Walmart CEO
McMillon will effectively retire on Jan. 31, 2026. However, he is slated to stay on Walmart’s board of directors until its next annual shareholders’ meeting. He will also act as an advisor to Furner through Jan. 31, 2027.
“Serving as Walmart’s CEO has been a great honor and I’m thankful to our Board and the Walton family for the opportunity,” McMillon said in a released statement. “I’m incredibly proud of what our associates accomplished and deeply grateful for their commitment to our customers, to each other and to the communities we serve.”
McMillon called Furner “uniquely capable of leading the company through this next AI-driven transformation,” an area that McMillon has repeatedly emphasized. The departing CEO made numerous noteworthy moves into artificial intelligence for Walmart in 2025, including advancing Walmart’s partnership with OpenAI and showcasing Walmart’s “super agents,” so named as agentic AI models capable of managing other, lesser AI agents across Walmart’s operations.
“His curiosity and digital acumen combined with a deep commitment to our people and culture will enable him to take us to the next level,” McMillon said.
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