Nate Faust has been tapped as EVP and chief e-commerce officer for The Kroger Co. , effective Sept. 1.
Faust is a Jet.com co-founder and former Walmart supply chain executive. He joined Walmart when it acquired Jet.com in 2016 and served as SVP of U.S. e-commerce supply chain during Kroger CEO Greg Foran’s tenure running Walmart U.S.
“Nate built businesses that redefined what customers expect from e-commerce, built on speed, value and the experience of getting exactly what the customer ordered,” Foran said. “That is the standard we are holding ourselves to as we grow our digital business.”
Varied background
Faust was Jet.com’s chief operating officer, overseeing first-party merchandising, replenishment, fulfillment and customer service, and launched the site’s Smart Cart pricing model, which lowered prices for customers who shopped in ways that reduced fulfillment costs. Earlier he was on the executive team at Diapers.com, where he built a delivery network offering free one- and two-day shipping nationwide and same-day service in some markets.
Most recently he led Olive, a company built around waste-free delivery and returns for brands including Rhone, Cynthia Rowley and Rent the Runway.
“Kroger has deep customer relationships, unmatched loyalty data and a footprint that puts us closer to customers,” Faust said. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work alongside Greg again and build on that strong foundation.”
Building out the executive team
The hire continues Foran’s reshaping of Kroger’s leadership since taking over in February. In July the company named Emilee De Martino, formerly chief people officer at McDonald’s, EVP and chief people officer.
Kroger’s digital business grew 19 percent on an adjusted basis in the first quarter, when identical sales without fuel rose 1 percent. Foran has said the company’s aim is to become “America’s best grocer.”
Faust holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in operations research and financial engineering from Princeton University.
Related: De Martino Named Kroger’s EVP, Chief People Officer