John Furner Explained

John Furner
Birth Place:Jacksonville, Arkansas
Office1:President and CEO, Walmart U.S.
Term1:November 2019 - present
Predecessor1:Greg Foran
Office2:CEO Sam's Club
Term2:February 2017 - November 2019
Predecessor2:Rosalind Brewer
Successor2:Kathryn McLay
Children:4

John Furner is an American business executive. He is president and CEO of Walmart U.S. Previously, he led Walmart's Sam's Club subsidiary.

Early life and education

Furner was born in 1974 in Jacksonville, Arkansas. He attended university at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where he studied marketing management.[1] Furner graduated from the Sam M. Walton College of Business in 1996.[2]

Career

Furner began his career at Walmart in 1993 as an hourly store associate.[3] He later became a store manager, district manager, and buyer. He became CEO of Sam's Club on Feb. 1, 2017, after serving as Sam's Club's chief merchandising officer and, prior that, spending nearly three years in Walmart's international division as EVP of merchandising and marketing for Walmart China.[4] At Sam's Club, Furner closed 63 stores to better compete with Costco. The Wall Street Journal reported that sales increased during his time as CEO.[5] Based on his experience at Walmart China, Furner focused on increasing the use of technology in Sam's Club warehouses and narrowing its targeted customer.[6] [7] Furner also focused on increasing Sam's Club's private brand business.[8]

Furner became president and CEO of Walmart U.S. in November 2019.[4]

Personal life

Furner is married with four children.[2] He is board chairman of the National Retail Federation and was a board member of Medal of Honor Foundation in 2020.[9] [10]

Notes and References

  1. News: High Profile: Sam's Club CEO John Furner . Monk . Ginny . . February 11, 2018 . February 18, 2020.
  2. News: The 'Truth' About Sam's Club . Speer . David . Walton Magazine . 19 . Winter 2018 . February 18, 2020.
  3. Web site: 10 October 2019 . Walmart Names John Furner President & CEO of Walmart U.S. . https://web.archive.org/web/20230924172503/https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2019/10/10/walmart-names-john-furner-president-ceo-of-walmart-u-s . 24 September 2023 . 2024-03-22 . corporate.walmart.com . Furner, 45, started with Walmart as an hourly associate in 1993, working part-time in the garden center of a supercenter.
  4. News: John Furner to succeed Greg Foran as Walmart U.S. CEO . Redman . Russell . Supermarket News . October 10, 2019 . February 18, 2020.
  5. News: Walmart's U.S. Stores Chief to Quit Retailer . Nassauer . Sarah . . October 10, 2019 . February 18, 2020.
  6. News: The digital first CEO transforming Sam's Club . Troy . Mike . Retail Leader . November 16, 2018 . February 18, 2020.
  7. News: Featured Executive: John Furner . Troy . Mike . Retail Leader . October 16, 2017 . February 18, 2020.
  8. News: Walmart's topsy-turvy week ends with the exit of US chief . Unglesbee . Ben . Retail Dive . October 11, 2019 . February 18, 2020.
  9. News: Walmart exec gets federation board spot . . Serenah . McKay . January 20, 2022 . July 7, 2022.
  10. Web site: Leadership . Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation . July 27, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200829012827/https://www.cmohs.org/foundation/overview . August 29, 2020.