Latriece Watkins

After more than six years as Walmart’s chief merchant — a role in which she distinguished herself by honing the retailer’s product assortment and driving operational excellence to deliver a consistently engaging shopping experience — Latriece Watkins has taken on the challenge of running Walmart’s Sam’s Club division. She brings an impressive skill set to her new position as the membership warehouse club’s chief executive officer.

The move to Sam’s Club is part of a broader reorganization of Walmart’s management team. In keeping with Walmart’s practice of giving executives experience in a variety of roles, the change is also a homecoming of sorts for Watkins, who was a merchant at Sam’s Club for two years early in her career. In addition to assignments in merchandising, Watkins has had experience in real estate, human resources and store operations during her career. 

She returns to Sam’s Club at a moment when the chain is on a roll. Net sales rose from $63.9 billion to $90.2 billion from fiscal 2021 to fiscal 2025. In that time frame, Sam’s Club emerged as a retail innovator, pioneering such technology as Scan & Go mobile shopping, the Just Go checkout system, and personalized advertising and member engagement driven by digital technology, as well as launching an automated club prototype in Grapeville, Texas. 

“I’m energized to build on the strong foundation already in place at Sam’s Club,” Watkins said, “and honored to lead the next chapter — rooted in legacy and culture, fueled by momentum and purpose, and focused on winning — together.”