Kroger Shares Key Leadership Changes

Industry vet Joe Kelley is now SVP of retail divisions at Kroger.

The Kroger Co. has announced a round of leader promotions. Several executives are taking on new roles as the retailer pivots away from the would-be merger with Albertsons Cos. and towards its own growth across the enterprise.

The updates include the following changes in talent:

Joe Kelley, president of Colorado-based King Soopers & City Markets division, will serve as SVP of retail divisions. A nearly 40-year industry veteran whose background includes positions at Price Chopper, Stop and Shop, Star Market, and Shaws Supermarkets, Kelley joined Kroger in 2019.
"Joe is a customer-centric leader who brings broad industry experience, with a strong track record of making stores great places to shop," remarked Ron Sargent, interim chairman and CEO of Kroger.
Kelley succeeds Kenny Kimball, who is returning to the Utah-based Smith's division as its president. Kimball has been with Kroger since 1984. "We are grateful for Kenny's leadership as he stepped up to oversee multiple retail divisions in addition to Smith's. His commitment to our associates and customers is inspirational, and he will continue to play a key role in our enterprise, supporting strategic priorities and mentoring young leaders,” noted Sargent, who took over as interim CEO in March in the wake of Rodney McMullen’s departure.

Chris Albi, group VP of operations at King Soopers & City Markets, will step into Kelley’s now-former role as president of that division. She has steadily ascended at Kroger, since joining the company as a courtesy clerk in 1981 and will leverage leadership roles including grocery category manager, VP of merchandising for the Michigan division and president of QFC.
Kendra Doyel has been elevated to president at the California- and Illinois-based Food 4 Less, taking over from the retiring Bryan Kaltenbach. She started with Kroger as a pharmacist in the Fry’s division in 1998 and held positions across multiple departments for Fry's, Ralph's and Food 4 Less. Kaltenbach has spent more than 50 years in the industry, and was named division president in 2010.

Cincinnati-based Kroger serves more than 11 million customers daily through a digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names. The grocer is No. 4 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Kroger one of its Retailers of the Century.