Kathryn McLay

Do you know who runs Walmart? A former accountant.

Meet Kathryn McLay, the President and CEO of Walmart International.

One of the most powerful women in global retail.

Born and raised in Australia, Kathryn’s career started in a world far from the fast-paced retail industry.

After earning her degree in accounting and finance, she landed a job at Deloitte, where she honed her skills in audit and financial strategy.

She later took those skills to Qantas Airlines and Woolworths, one of Australia’s largest retailers.

She worked her way up from corporate audit to high-impact leadership roles in business development, operations, and supply chain at Woolworths.

Then, in 2015, she made a bold move.

She left Australia and joined Walmart as Vice President of U.S. Finance & Strategy.

Her first challenge?

Leading Legacy, a set of strategic, cross-functional initiatives focused on transforming Walmart U.S. operations.

From there, she took on even bigger roles.

Revamping Walmart’s supply chain, overseeing its import and reverse logistics network, and running its small-format Neighborhood Market stores.

By 2019, she was tapped to become the President and CEO of Sam’s Club, Walmart’s members-only warehouse division.

Under her leadership, Sam’s Club exploded in growth.

Revenues skyrocketed by 43%, reaching $84B in just four years.

Then, in 2023, Kathryn was named President and CEO of Walmart International, a $100B division with 500,000 employees serving 80M customers across 18 countries.

Her leadership style? Pragmatic, data-driven, and focused on execution.