How Walmart CEO John Furner is using his father’s lessons—and AI—to steer a $1 trillion giant

When John Furner stepped into the CEO role at Walmart in February, he inherited a 63-year-old retail empire worth $1 trillion and No. 2 Fortune 500 company. But his connection to the company started long before he reached the C-suite: His father spent 25 years working for Walmart, and he says his father’s early lessons on the sales floor helped shape his own approach to leadership.

“I heard about respect for the individual, serving customers, and striving for excellence when I was four...