- Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) announced major executive council changes, naming new leaders for Walmart U.S., Walmart International, Sam’s Club, and its enterprise growth platforms
- David Guggina will become President and CEO of Walmart U.S., while Chris Nicholas takes over Walmart International and Latriece Watkins becomes CEO of Sam’s Club
- Seth Dallaire’s role expands to oversee several global enterprise platforms, and current Walmart International CEO Kath McLay will depart after a transition period
- Walmart stock (NASDAQ:WMT) opened trading at US$118.67
Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT) announced a broad slate of leadership changes to its Executive Council, reshaping oversight of its U.S., international, and enterprise-level businesses.
The appointments, which take effect February 1, 2026, include new chief executives for Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam’s Club, as well as expanded enterprise responsibilities for a key growth leader.
Seth Dallaire to oversee enterprise growth platforms
Seth Dallaire, currently executive vice president and chief growth officer for Walmart U.S., has been named EVP and chief growth officer for Walmart Inc. In his expanded role, Dallaire will assume responsibility for several global enterprise platforms, including Walmart Connect, Walmart+, Walmart Data Ventures, Vizio, Sam’s Club Membership Access Platform, and the company’s global marketplace operations.
Dallaire has played a central role in the retailer’s effort to diversify revenue streams beyond traditional retail over the past several years. The new appointment consolidates oversight of Walmart’s advertising, membership, data, and marketplace businesses under a single enterprise leader.
David Guggina to become president and CEO of Walmart U.S.
David Guggina, executive vice president and chief eCommerce officer for Walmart U.S., will step into one of the company’s top operating roles as president and CEO of Walmart U.S. Guggina has headed Walmart’s U.S. eCommerce operations and previously served as EVP of Supply Chain Operations.
Under his leadership, Walmart developed delivery infrastructure that now reaches 95% of U.S. households within three hours. The company stated that his background in eCommerce and logistics positions him to guide Walmart U.S. as it competes in a rapidly changing retail environment.
Chris Nicholas to lead Walmart International
Chris Nicholas, currently president and CEO of Sam’s Club U.S., will succeed Kath McLay as president and CEO of Walmart International. Nicholas brings extensive global experience to the role, having lived and worked in more than 10 countries. His past roles at Walmart include chief operating officer for Walmart U.S., CFO for Walmart U.S., and CFO for Walmart International.
Nicholas has led Sam’s Club U.S. since 2022, overseeing efforts to modernize the club model and strengthen membership value.
Latriece Watkins named President and CEO of Sam’s Club U.S.
Latriece Watkins, Walmart U.S.’s EVP and chief merchandising officer, will take over as president and CEO of Sam’s Club U.S. Watkins began her Walmart career as an intern in 1997 and has held positions across Walmart U.S., Sam’s Club, merchandising, People functions, and store operations.
In her most recent role, Watkins led a reshaping of the company’s assortment strategy and played a key role in building operational consistency across Walmart U.S. stores.
Leadership commentary
“These internal promotions reflect our culture of opportunity and the depth of our leadership bench,” Walmart’s incoming president and CEO John Furner said in a news release. “These leadership changes also mark a key step in how we organize for the future. Even the best teams need the right structure to win. 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.”
Kath McLay to depart Walmart after transition period
The company also announced the upcoming departure of Kathryn McLay, president and CEO of Walmart International. McLay will remain in the role through January 31, 2026, and will stay with the company through the first quarter to support a smooth leadership transition.
McLay previously served as president and CEO of Sam’s Club U.S., where she oversaw 12 consecutive quarters of double-digit sales growth. Over her tenure, she led improvements in merchandise quality, expanded omnichannel capabilities, and guided operations during the COVID‑19 pandemic. McLay joined Walmart in strategy and supply chain roles before later heading the Neighborhood Market division.
Walmart stated that McLay’s successor will be named later.
About Walmart
Walmart Inc. operates retail and wholesale stores and clubs, eCommerce websites, and mobile applications worldwide.
Walmart stock (NASDAQ:WMT) opened trading around half a per cent lower at US$118.67 but has risen nearly 30 per cent since this time last year.
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