Executive exits follow CEO Furner’s broader leadership reshuffle
Walmart is shuffling the leadership atop its U.S. business as the retailer’s new chief executive continues to build his senior team. Kieran Shanahan, chief operating officer for Walmart U.S., will leave the role this week, the company said in an internal memo viewed by The Wall Street Journal. He will be succeeded by Kyle Kinnard, currently COO for Walmart International.
Shanahan, 45, started with Walmart’s then-U.K. subsidiary Asda nearly three decades ago. He will remain with the company as an adviser through the end of Walmart’s fiscal year on Jan. 31, 2027, according to the memo.
Kinnard, 47, began his career at Walmart more than two decades ago at Sam’s Club. He holds a degree in marketing from the University of Arkansas, as does Furner. Walmart said another executive, Juan Galarraga, would take on parts of Kinnard’s international responsibilities.
The departure is part of a series of top executive changes since John Furner became Walmart’s companywide CEO earlier this year, placing a company veteran who has long ties to Arkansas in the top role. Walmart has also named new CEOs and key executives for each of its three major business units: the U.S., International, and Sam’s Club.
In May, Tom Ward, the chief operating officer of Walmart’s warehouse chain Sam’s Club, retired, and Cedric Clark, the executive vice president of U.S. store operations, left the company, according to The Wall Street Journal. Clark’s position remains vacant, the Journal reported.
Walmart has reported strong quarterly sales for years, but some investors have recently worried that a grocery pricing war is on the horizon and could eat into profits. Earlier this month, Walmart said it would lower prices on thousands of items, and other retailers including Kroger also have highlighted price cuts in recent weeks.