Ron Vachris
American business executive (born 1965)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ron Vachris (born 1965) is an American business executive and the CEO of Costco. He started at the company as a forklift driver in the 1980s.[1]
Ron Vachris | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1965 (age 60–61) Staten Island, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Glendale Community College |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Employer | Costco |
| Known for | Costco CEO |
| Title | Chief executive officer |
| Term | 2024–present |
| Spouse | Kim (m. c. 1988) |
| Children | 3 |
Early life
Vachris was born in Staten Island to a Greek American family in 1965.[2][3][4] His father was a utility lineman. The family later moved to Arizona when Vachris was a teenager.[3] After graduating from high school, Vachris enrolled in Glendale Community College, where he studied business while working as a forklift driver for Price Club.[4]
Career
After spending several years driving a forklift, Vachris became an assistant warehouse manager in Phoenix before managing Price Club's expansion into Colorado in 1991. By 1992, Vachris managed warehouses in Aurora and Westminster.[3] After Price Club merged with Costco in 1993, Vachris moved back to Arizona until 1999 when he became a regional vice president in San Diego.[3]
Vachris joined Costco's corporate management in 2010, serving as a senior vice president and general manager until 2015. After seven more years in other senior executive roles, Vachris became president and chief operating officer in February 2022, working under Craig Jelinek.[5]
On October 10, 2023, Costco announced that Jelinek would be stepping down and would be replaced by Vachris.[6] Vachris officially became CEO of Costco on January 1, 2024.[1] As CEO, Vachris gained attention after Costco announced it would not eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.[7]
Personal life
Around 1988, Vachris married his wife Kim. They have two sons and a daughter.[3]