Andrea Felsted, Columnist

Walmart’s CEO Change Comes at a Dangerous Moment

November 14, 2025 at 5:32 PM UTC

Andrea Felsted is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering consumer goods and the retail industry. Previously, she was a reporter for the Financial Times.

Thanks for the memories, Doug.
Photographer: Ethan Miller/Getty Images North America

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There’s never a good time for a highly regarded chief executive officer to step down, but Doug McMillon’s surprise decision to retire from Walmart Inc. looks particularly inopportune.

The world’s biggest retailer said on Friday that McMillon would leave the top job on Jan. 31; he’ll be succeeded by John Furner, who runs Walmart’s US business.