BENTONVILLE, ARK. — John Furner has been named president and CEO of Walmart US, effective Nov. 1. He will succeed Greg Foran, who held the role for five years. Foran plans to stay with Walmart through Jan. 31, 2020, to ensure a smooth transition.

In his new role, Furner will partner with Walmart US e-commerce CEO Marc Lore to “deliver a seamless omnichannel experience” for Walmart’s US customers, the company said.

Furner was most recently president and CEO of Walmart’s Sam’s Club business and earlier was chief merchandising officer for Sam’s Club. Before that, he was chief merchandise and marketing officer for Walmart China. Furner joined Walmart as an hourly associate in 1993, working part time in the garden center of a Walmart supercenter. He advanced through various leadership roles, later becoming a store manager, district manager and buyer. During his 26 years with Walmart, he has held leadership roles in operations, merchandising and sourcing in Walmart US, Sam’s Club and Walmart International.

“John has done a fantastic job at Sam’s Club, and he will continue the momentum we have in Walmart US,” said Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Walmart Inc. “John knows our business well, having held many different jobs in the company over more than 25 years, and he is helping transform it for the future. He has the experience and judgment to know what we should continue doing and what we should change. He embraces technology and new ways of working, and he keeps our customers and Sam’s Club members at the center of everything we do, while delivering results for the business. I look forward to seeing his impact for our customers and associates in Walmart US.”

Foran is leaving Walmart to become CEO of Air New Zealand Ltd. He has been CEO of Walmart US since August 2014, and he first joined Walmart in October 2011.

“Greg Foran has made a huge difference for Walmart, and we are grateful.” McMillon said. “He built a strong plan from the beginning to strengthen the US business — a plan that made significant choices around investing in wages and benefits for associates and investing in price for customers. Greg’s ability to innovate, whether it’s making our stores a competitive advantage in an omnichannel environment or equipping associates with next generation technology and training, has helped position us for the future. The results have been impressive — every quarter he led Walmart US it has had positive comps. Before leading us to a stronger position in the US, he did the same thing in China. We will miss Greg and thank him for his leadership. He has made a difference for our customers, associates and shareholders.”