Verkkoworking for costco for as many years as the goods store has been around—41 years—vachris has climbed the ranks from the inside. Verkkojelinek succeeded costco cofounder jim sinegal as ceo in 2012, and plans to step down after 11 years. He advocated for raising the minimum wage. Verkkobut that's precisely the situation with costco's chief executive officer, ron vachris, who took over the helm of the retail giant in january 2024.