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CINCINNATI — Kroger Co. has named Michael Ellis president and chief operating officer, effective January 1, 2014.
Kroger Co. has named Michael Ellis president and chief operating officer, effective January 1, 2014.
His appointment completes the succession plan the company announced in September, when it revealed that David Dillon, current chairman and chief executive officer, will retire as CEO on January 1 but will continue to serve as chairman through December 31, 2014. W. Rodney McMullen, current president and COO, will succeed Dillon as CEO on January 1.
Ellis is presently senior vice president of retail divisions, with responsibility for five supermarket divisions and Kroger’s jewelry and convenience store businesses. Before taking that position last year, he had been president of Portland, Ore.-based Fred Meyer Inc., Kroger’s biggest division by revenue, for six years.
Ellis, 55, is a 38-year Kroger veteran, having joined Fred Meyer in 1975 as a parcel clerk and worked his way up the management ranks. He was vice president of Fred Meyer’s food group before joining Kroger as a senior executive in 2004, returning to Fred Meyer as president in 2006. He is credited with improving associate engagement as well as playing an influential role in the growth of the company’s Marketplace store format.
"Mike’s broad-based experience on both the food and general merchandise sides of our business makes him a great fit for this role," said Dillon. "Mike is a team builder who will be a great partner with our entire leadership team. We look forward to his dynamic leadership of Kroger’s diverse operations."
