BENTONVILLE, Ark. —Latriece Watkins assumed the role of chief merchandising officer at Walmart U.S. last May, marking a significant milestone in a career spanning nearly a quarter-century at the renowned retailer.

“Those of you who have worked with Latriece know she is a merchant at heart and has a talent and passion for developing future leaders,” John Furner, president and chief executive officer of Walmart U.S., wrote in an internal memo announcing her promotion. “Her enthusiasm, talent and deep experience helped establish the omni­merchandising strategy we have today, and her focus on customers and members will only strengthen our position in the future.”

Watkins’ journey at Walmart began as a real estate intern while attending law school. Upon completing her degree, she accepted a full-time role at the company. Since then, she has ascended through various roles, demonstrating a penchant for leadership and a passion for nurturing future talent.

Before being named chief merchant, Watkins distinguished herself by leading Walmart’s consumables team for seven years — four as senior vice president and three as executive vice president. During this time, Watkins steered the division through a period of sustained growth, even amidst the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The convergence of the omni and stores consumables teams in early 2020, coinciding with the onset of the pandemic, presented Watkins and her team with formidable obstacles, including the challenge of keeping categories like paper products, household cleaning supplies, and over-the-counter medications available despite surges in demand due to panic buying.

Latriece Watkins

The pandemic accelerated the burgeoning e-commerce sector, prompting Walmart to rapidly expand its pickup and delivery network to cater to the demand for contactless shopping.

Watkins has echoed sentiments shared by Walmart chief executive officer Doug McMillon emphasizing that Walmart is “people led and tech powered.” And she remains focused on Walmart’s mission. “Walmart is guided by a very clear purpose — it’s our ‘why’ — and was stated by our founder, Sam Walton,” she said. “It’s to help people save money and live better.”

As the first woman and first person of color to serve as chief merchant at Walmart, Watkins also recognizes the significance of her position, and remains committed to mentoring and empowering others.

“None of us achieve our successes alone,” she said. “The people at Walmart have meant so much to me over the time I’ve been here. They have been a part of important accomplishments and I have seen them support each other in hard times. I’m a customer person, and the fact that I get to do this job, and that my team gets to help do things that make our customers’ lives better is an honor.”