Kroger Names New President of 84.51°

Kroger's data science subsidiary 84.51° has elevated its chief operating officer to president.

Milen Mahadevan will be responsible for the day-to-day leadership, management and vision for 84.51° to deliver best-in-class results for The Kroger Co. and its consumer-packaged-goods partners. Mahadevan replaces former CEO Stuart Aiken, who was recently named chief merchant and marketing officer for Kroger.

Prior to being named president and COO, Mahadevan served as senior vice president, head of Client Solutions and Capabilities at 84.51°, where he led the strategic direction and development of the company’s solutions and capabilities, as well as a key driver of the overarching strategy for the business.

Previously, Mahadevan served as the head of Client Solutions and the Service Line Organization for dunnhumbyUSA. In this role, he was responsible for best practices and innovation in data management, analytics, insights, communications and media. This focus allowed Mahadevan to deliver scalable solution strategies for dunnhumbyUSA’s client base. He played a critical role in expanding the company’s foundational capabilities across markets, channels, verticals and categories.

In May the Kroger Precision Marketing arm of 84.51° named former Amazon executive Nancy Winé to lead advertising sales for the retail media advertising solution.

Cincinnati-based Kroger employs nearly half a million associates who serve 9 million-plus customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,757 retail food stores under a variety of banner names. The company is No. 3 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food retailers in the United States.