DISCUSSION
Will Sam’s Club CEO lead Walmart’s U.S. business to greater success?
Written by George Anderson
Greg Foran | John Furner - Photos: Walmart
Walmart announced yesterday that Greg Foran, president and CEO of its U.S. business, is leaving the company and will be replaced by John Furner, who has been the top executive at Sam’s Club since 2017.
Mr. Foran, who replaced Bill Simon in 2014 after Walmart posted same-store sales declines for five consecutive quarters, has been credited with leading the chain’s turnaround in recent years having made changes to improve the supply chain and reduce out-of-stocks. He has also worked with Walmart’s e-commerce team led by Marc Lore to advance the company’s omnichannel effectiveness. Following his exit from Walmart, Mr. Foran will become CEO at Air New Zealand Limited.
Mr. Furner, who began his career with Walmart as an hourly associate in 1993, has worked in a variety of store and corporate positions. He was chief merchandising officer at Sam’s before being named CEO. He has led a reset at Sam’s focused on expanding the chain’s digital capabilities. Last year, Mr. Furner announced plans to close 63 clubs to the public and repurpose many of them as distribution centers for online orders.
“He has the experience and judgment to know what we should continue doing and what we should change,” said Walmart CEO Doug McMillon of Mr. Furner. “He embraces technology and new ways of working, and he keeps our customers and Sam’s Club members at the center of everything we do, while delivering results for the business.”