Walmart Appoints Erin Nealy Cox As Executive Vice President Of Global Governance, Chief Legal Officer And Corporate Secretary
Walmart appoints Erin Nealy Cox as EVP Global Governance, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary.
Walmart Appoints Erin Nealy Cox as Executive Vice President of Global Governance, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
Walmart Inc. has announced the appointment of Erin Nealy Cox as Executive Vice President of Global Governance, Chief Legal Officer (CLO), and Corporate Secretary. She will assume the role on April 13, 2026, and will lead Walmart’s Global Governance organization.
Cox joins Walmart from Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where she served as a Partner in the Government, Regulatory & Internal Investigations Practice Group since 2021. At Walmart, she will oversee global legal, compliance, ethics, corporate governance, digital citizenship, enterprise risk management, litigation, aviation, investigations, and corporate security, including Walmart’s Global Security Operations Center.
Welcoming the appointment, John Furner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Walmart, said,
“To lead Global Governance for a company of our scale and complexity, you need a leader who has thrived in the most demanding environments. Erin is exactly that leader, She brings a rare combination of legal strategy and operational rigor that will be essential as we continue to navigate the new era of retail, while staying true to our purpose of helping people save money and live better.”
Prior to joining Kirkland & Ellis, Cox served as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas with the United States Department of Justice. In that role, she oversaw a broad range of federal investigations and prosecutions, including matters related to white-collar crime, cybercrime, national security, and public corruption. She was also appointed to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, where she later served as Chair, advising on national law enforcement priorities.
Earlier in her career, Cox worked as an Executive Managing Director at Stroz Friedberg, a global cybersecurity and investigations consulting firm, where she led the firm’s global incident response practice. She also served as a Senior Advisor in the cybersecurity and risk practice at McKinsey & Company.
Cox currently serves on the Board of Directors of Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc..
Commenting on her appointment, Cox said,
“Walmart is a company defined not just by its scale, but by its heart; and I am honored to join the team at such a pivotal moment, Throughout my career in both the public and private sectors, I’ve found that the best strategies are always rooted in purpose. Walmart has a clear purpose, one I believe in deeply, and I’m excited to dive in and help our teams continue to serve our customers and members when, how and where they want.”
Cox holds a Juris Doctor from SMU Dedman School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin.
Walmart Inc. (Nasdaq: WMT) is a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer helping people save money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 280 million customers and members visit more than 10,900 stores and numerous eCommerce websites in 19 countries. With fiscal year 2026 revenue of $713 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy, and employment opportunity.
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