A lawyer by training, Latriece Watkins, 51, spent the early years of her career in Walmart’s real estate division and expected to remain there. But a conversation with Walmart CEO Doug McMillon changed the trajectory of her career. Ultimately the conversation positioned her to lead one of the largest retail businesses in America.
She’s in Charge
Today, Watkins serves as president and CEO of Sam’s Club, the membership warehouse chain owned by Walmart. If Sam’s Club operated as a standalone company, its annual revenue would rank it among the largest corporations in the United States, surpassing many Fortune 500 companies, including Tesla, according to Fortune.
She joined Walmart as an intern in 1997 and climbed the ranks through a variety of senior leadership roles across real estate, store operations, merchandising, people management, and Sam’s Club.
Then McMillon encouraged her to move into merchandising, which proved key to her later becoming the head of Sam’s, to which she was appointed Feb. 1.
Watkins served as executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Walmart U.S., overseeing teams responsible for selecting and sourcing hundreds of billions of dollars worth of merchandise sold annually. She played a key role in refining assortment strategies, strengthening execution, and attracting higher-income shoppers to Walmart stores.
Her leadership, she told Fortune, philosophy centers on customer needs, operational discipline, and empowering employees.
“We start our conversations with the customer,” Watkins has said. “What’s important to them? What are they thinking about? How can we serve them?”
As CEO of Sam’s Club, Watkins now faces the challenge of expanding the retailer’s market share while competing with rivals such as Costco and Amazon. Still, for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2024, Sam’s Club’s total revenue was $90.2 billion. There are more than 600 clubs across the U.S and Puerto Rico.
Watkins’ appointment also represents a significant milestone in corporate leadership — she is the first African-American woman to lead the membership warehouse club. She is a graduate of Spelman College with a degree in political science and a Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas School of Law.
Watkins also serves on the board of Live Nation.
Even though she is head of Sam’s Club, it also seems, according to recent regulatory filings, Watkins sold 11,000 shares of Walmart stock in May 2026, generating approximately $1.3 million in proceeds. Despite the sale, she continues to hold more than 120,000 shares valued at over $14 million. There was no public reason given for the sale of her shares.
