Christina Zhu

A former McKinsey consultant and Columbia Business School graduate, Christina Zhu has turned one of the world’s most competitive retail markets into a bright spot for a global giant navigating an increasingly fraught U.S.-China economic relationship. Zhu was the first woman appointed to lead Walmart China when she took the role in 2020. Under her leadership, Walmart China reported total sales of $24 billion in its most recent fiscal year, with growth outperforming the global average. The engine behind that growth is Sam’s Club, the brand’s membership-based warehouse retail chain; online sales are also booming, accounting for more than half of Walmart China’s total sales.