Claudine Adamo

Claudine Adamo started at Costco in 1992 as an hourly employee in the membership and security department at the Kirkland, Wash., warehouse. She worked her way up to a role that may be the most consequential buying job in American retail. In 2022 she became EVP and COO of merchandising, in which she oversaw the teams of buyers who determine what lands in warehouses for Costco’s 147 million cardholders, including the curation of the Kirkland Signature private label—one of the most trusted and profitable store brands in the world. This year she passed the merchandising baton and moved into a role as EVP of administration, overseeing functions including membership, marketing, sustainability, and warehouse operations. The $275-billion-in-revenue business counts on Adamo as a trusted steward.