01/21/2026
Still…
La Toya
Sam’s Club is seeing a changing of the guard!
Latriece Watkins is the newly appointed president and CEO of Sam’s Club, the members-only wholesale chain owned by Walmart Inc..
For decades, she’s been in Walmart’s C-suite driving growth. Watkins started with Walmart as an intern in real estate in 1997, later leading merchandising across snacks, beverages, beauty, and store operations. She became chief merchant in 2023, overseeing roughly $500 billion in products sold annually.
“My team and I get to choose all the items that customers experience at Walmart. We consider ourselves their personal shoppers. We love to curate an assortment,” she said on Fast Company’s Innovative Companies podcast.
A graduate of Spelman College and University of Arkansas School of Law, Fayetteville, Watkins also helped attract higher-income shoppers. Just three years later, she was promoted to CEO of Sam’s Club. Her appointment takes effect February 1.
Congratulations Latriec! Read more at ESSENCE.com.
