Walmart announced a sweeping realignment of its top executive ranks this month, highlighted by the historic promotion of company veteran Latriece Watkins to president and Chief Executive Officer of Sam’s Club U.S.
Watkins, who began her career as a Walmart intern in 1997, is now the first African American woman to lead the membership warehouse club, a pivotal segment within one of the world’s largest retailers.
The promotion is part of a broader suite of leadership shifts unveiled by incoming Walmart President and CEO John Furner, designed to fuel innovation and position the company for what he calls “a new era of retail.” All appointments take effect Feb. 1, 2026.
Built from the ground up
Watkins’ ascent to the corner office speaks to Walmart’s internal promotion culture. Starting nearly three decades ago as an intern, she has held a wide range of leadership roles across Sam’s Club, Walmart merchandising, human resources and store operations. Most recently serving as executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Walmart, she is credited with reshaping the company’s assortment strategy and driving operational excellence.
“Over my 32 years with Walmart, I’ve seen that our people are our greatest competitive advantage. These internal promotions reflect our culture of opportunity and the depth of our leadership bench,” Furner said. “Even the best teams need the right structure to win.”
Watkins’ appointment is one of several key moves operationalizing Walmart’s “People Led, Tech Powered” strategy. She takes the helm at Sam’s Club from Chris Nicholas, who is moving to become president and CEO of Walmart International.
More executive changes
Other significant changes include:
Seth Dallaire has been elevated to executive vice president and chief growth officer at Walmart Inc., overseeing global platforms such as Walmart Connect and Walmart+.
David Guggina moves from chief ecommerce officer to president and CEO of Walmart U.S., bringing his expertise in supply chain and digital fulfillment to lead the company’s largest operational segment.
This restructuring aims to centralize global technology and growth platforms while allowing the leaders of each operational segment — Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam’s Club U.S. — to focus more intently on their specific customers and members.
Leading Sam’s Club into the future
Watkins steps into her new role as Sam’s Club continues to be a robust growth engine for Walmart, competing directly with rivals like Costco and BJ’s Wholesale Club. Her deep background in merchandising and store operations will be critical as the club seeks to enhance member value, refine its product assortment and integrate new technologies.
The leadership changes come at a time of rapid transformation in retail, with artificial intelligence and data-driven decision-making becoming central to competitive advantage.
Furner emphasized this context, stating, “As AI rapidly reshapes retail, we are centralizing our platforms to accelerate shared capabilities, freeing up our operating segments to be more focused on and closer to our customers and members.”
Contact Multimedia Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more news, click here.
