Kroger Co. has announced leadership appointments involving four of its divisions in the West and Midwest.
Joe Kelley, formerly president of the Colorado-based King Soopers & City Markets division, has become SVP of retail divisions.
Kelley succeeds Kenny Kimball, who returns to the Utah-based Smith’s division as president. Chris Albi, group VP of operations at King Soopers & City Markets, is the new president of the King Soopers & City Markets division.
In addition, Kendra Doyel will lead the California- and Illinois-based Food 4 Less as president, succeeding Bryan Kaltenbach, who is retiring after more than 50 years in the grocery industry.
With nearly 40 years of experience, Kelley has held a number of executive leadership roles across a variety of retailers, including Price Chopper, Stop and Shop, Star Market and Shaws Supermarkets. He 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,” said Ron Sargent, chairman and CEO of Kroger.
Kimball, who has been with Kroger since 1984, spent three years as SVP of retail divisions.
“We are grateful for Kenny’s leadership as he stepped up to oversee multiple retail divisions in addition to Smith’s,” Sargent said. “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.”
Kroger described Albi as a trusted leader who is deeply connected to the division’s identity, strategy and associates.
She started with Kroger in 1981 as a courtesy clerk and has gone on to hold numerous leadership roles with the company, including grocery category manager, VP of merchandising for the Michigan division and president of QFC.
Doyel joined Kroger in 1998 as a pharmacist in the Fry’s division. Since then, she has held several leadership roles across multiple departments for Fry’s, Ralph’s and Food 4 Less.
Kaltenbach, who joined Food 4 Less in 1994, has held several leadership positions, including store manager, director of store operations and director of sales and marketing. He had been division president since 2010.
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