Kroger president retires after 40 years with the company
Kroger president retires after 40 years with the company
The Kroger Co. announced that Mike Ellis, president and chief operating officer, has retired. He took on his most recent role at Kroger Jan. 1, 2014; however, he has been with the company for 40 years. Kroger said his successor will be named at a later date.
Ellis joined Fred Meyer in 1975 as a parcel clerk at age 16, and went on to serve in a series of operations and merchandising leadership positions in stores, division management and as a corporate officer. He was vice president of Fred Meyer's food group before joining The Kroger Co. as a senior officer in 2004. He returned to lead Fred Meyer as president in 2006. He was promoted to senior vice president of retail divisions in 2012, leading five operating divisions, as well as Kroger's jewelry and convenience store businesses, and became president and COO in 2014.
"We're very grateful to Mike for his contributions over the past 40 years, and we wish him all the best in retirement," Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and chief executive officer, said in a press release. "We have long taken a team approach to leadership, and together our highly experienced team of operators and merchandisers is focused on delivering on our aggressive growth goals."