Kathryn McLay to step down as Walmart International CEO in January
Walmart Inc. announced this week that Kathryn McLay will step down as president and CEO of Walmart International, closing out a 10-year stretch that included senior leadership posts across Sam’s Club, Walmart U.S., and the retailer’s global business.
McLay will remain in her current role through Jan. 31 and stay on through the first quarter to support the transition. She will be succeeded by Chris Nicholas, current CEO of Sam’s Club.
“Since stepping in to lead Walmart International in 2023, Kath has led a growth agenda, producing strong top- and bottom-line results, advancing our digital and technology transformation, and strengthening our leadership team,” said Walmart Inc. President and CEO Doug McMillon. “She has done a fantastic job, and we will miss her positive impact on our business.”
Nicholas, who previously served Walmart U.S. as COO and CFO and Walmart International as CFO, brings extensive international expertise to his new role. He has worked in over 10 countries across the globe.
McLay took the helm at Walmart International in September 2023, succeeding Judith McKenna, who retired after 27 years with the company. Before heading up the international business, she became the second female executive to lead Sam’s Club after Rosalind Brewer, stepping into the role after Furner was elevated to president and CEO of Walmart U.S. in 2019.
“It’s been a privilege to work at Walmart over the past decade,” said McLay in a statement. “The roles I’ve held at the company have been extraordinary, filled with opportunities to have an impact on communities, touch lives, serve customers and members, and lead with a sense of purpose. Walmart provided me the ability to make a real difference in the world, and I am truly grateful. I’ve said it before, and I believe it more than ever: The world is a better place because Walmart is in it.”
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McLay’s departure coincides with broad changes to Walmart’s Executive Council. Nicholas will pass the torch to Latriece Watkins, currently Walmart U.S.’ EVP and chief merchandising officer, who will assume the role of president and CEO at Sam’s Club U.S. David Guggina will ascend from EVP and chief e-commerce officer to helm Walmart U.S. as president and CEO. Seth Dallaire, EVP and chief growth officer for Walmart U.S., will assume the same role at Walmart Inc., overseeing global enterprise platforms including Walmart+, Walmart Connect, and the company’s global Marketplace platform.
All leadership changes are effective Feb. 1.
“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,” stated incoming Walmart CEO John Furner.
According to Furner, the leadership restructuring is aimed at positioning the company for what he calls “the new era of retail.” He said the move reflects Walmart’s need to centralize platforms and accelerate AI capabilities while keeping operating segments closer to customers.
The retail giant has been pushing to transform its store operations with AI in recent years. The company has deployed millions of IoT sensors throughout its supply chain to feed real-time data into AI systems, with plans to reach 90 million sensors by the end of 2026. Additionally, Walmart announced in September 2025 that it would offer free AI training to all U.S. associates through a partnership with OpenAI, part of the retailer’s nearly $1 billion commitment to skills training.
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Each week, approximately 270 million customers and members visit Walmart’s more than 10,750 stores and numerous e-commerce websites in 19 countries. With fiscal year 2025 revenue of $681 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on Progressive Grocer’s list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named the company among its Retailers of the Century.
