Walmart exec gets federation board spot

Walmart Inc.’s U.S. chief was elected Saturday to serve as board chairman of the National Retail Federation, an industry trade group with thousands of members worldwide.

John Furner, president and chief executive officer of Walmart U.S., will serve a two-year term leading the federation’s governing body. He replaces Qurate Retail Inc.’s former chief executive, Mike George.

The National Retail Federation’s membership is made up of businesses of all sizes and formats throughout the U.S. and more than 45 countries.

Furner has led the Bentonville-based retailer’s U.S. division since 2019, after two years as president and chief executive of Walmart’s Sam’s Club members-only warehouse division. He joined Walmart as a parttime store employee in 1993.

“We are extremely fortunate to gain John’s leadership at this pivotal point,

as retailers move beyond the pandemic,” said Matthew Shay, the National Retail Federation’s president and chief executive officer.

“As we begin a new year and a new chapter for the industry, John’s extensive industry experience and knowledge will guide NRF and retailers large and small into a new era of innovation,” Shay said.

Also during its annual winter meeting Saturday, Bloomingdale’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tony Spring joined the board.

The meeting was held in New York City just before the National Retail Federation’s annual conference and expo. The three-day event called NRF 2022: Retail’s Big Show began Sunday and wrapped up on Tuesday.

Its board of directors is composed of “the retail industry’s leading executives,” the trade group said in a news release. Companies represented on the board include Google LLC, PwC, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc., Target Corp., BJ’s Wholesale Club and Tractor Supply Co.

But the trade group isn’t just for retailing giants, said Bill Thorne, its senior vice president of communications and public relations. The board also includes representatives of small retailers such as the Luggage Shop of Lubbock, Texas, he said.

In fact, about 98% of retailers are independent businesses, Thorne said. And retailers of all sizes share the same challenges.

The board members elected Furner because they knew he understood those shared challenges, Thorne said, especially with his background at Sam’s Club, which serves many small businesses.

“When you look at retail and you look at the people who are passionate about retail, they don’t look at the size, necessarily,” Thorne said. “They look at the opportunity to learn from each other and to grow a successful business.”

No matter their size or whether they sell in stores, online or both, Thorne said, all retailers face challenges such as labor shortages, inflation, regulatory bureaucracy, and organized retail crime.

“Those are the things that bring them together,” Thorne said, “and they work together to address those issues and to be successful.”

The National Retail Federation represents all retail, Thorne said.

“We don’t look at retail by size or by category, whether they’re online only, or online and in-store, or in-store only,” Thorne said.

“We recognize that we have an industry that is diverse,” he said. “The organization is wellserved by ensuring that our board of directors is composed of people who have different perspectives, yet a common cause.”