Dive Brief:
- Kroger announced Friday that Stuart Aitken, the company’s chief merchandising and marketing officer, is stepping down to “pursue other professional opportunities.”
- Aitken will remain in his role until the end of this year. Mary Ellen Adcock, Kroger's senior vice president of operations, will succeed him as chief merchandising and marketing officer.
- Aitken played an instrumental role in establishing Kroger’s fresh-focused, omnichannel market positioning over the past few years. He also helped expand Kroger’s alternative revenue streams, having served as CEO of data analytics firm Dunnhumby, which sold its U.S. assets to Kroger in 2015, as well as of the grocer’s in-house data firm, 84.51.
Dive Insight:
Aitken is departing from Kroger at a sensitive time for the grocer, which is waiting to learn whether it will be able to move ahead with its plan to merge with Albertsons following three bruising trials that put a public spotlight on the challenges it faces.
Kroger also underwent a CFO transition earlier this year, as its former finance chief, Gary Millerchip, left to become finance chief of Costco.
Aitken joined Kroger as head of its data analytics division, but in time his role expanded to include management over sales, pricing and category planning.
Aitken helped establish the grocer’s “Fresh for All” marketing strategy, which rolled out in 2019. The next year, he assumed the role of chief merchant and marketing officer from longtime executive Joe Grieshaber, who retired. In his more than four years in that position, Aitken helped the company expand its digital business and alternative revenue streams while also navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I want to thank Stuart for his work to evolve Kroger's brand while bringing exciting, innovating products to our shelves,” Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said in a statement. “He played an instrumental role in overseeing dunnhumby's integration and establishing 84.51º.”
Aitken tendered his resignation on Tuesday, Kroger said in a Friday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Adcock, who has been with Kroger for more than 20 years, will take on her new position on Jan. 1. She became Kroger's senior vice president of operations, a role that put her in charge of areas including customer experience, associate experience, asset protection and food safety, in 2019.
Adcock joined Kroger in 1999 as a member of its manufacturing division and worked in a variety of management positions across divisions, including deli/bakery and natural foods. In 2014, she became head of merchandising and operations for the grocer’s Columbus division, and in 2016 became group vice president of retail operations.
“Mary Ellen is a respected leader both within Kroger and our industry,” McMullen said. “Her deep strategic experience in her past 25 years with Kroger in roles of increasing responsibility will continue to drive value for customers and growth for our business and associates.”
Kroger said its two senior vice presidents of retail operations, Valarie Jabbar and Kenny Kimball, and Group Vice President Of Retail Operations Paula Kash, will remain in their positions and report to McMullen. Jabbar and Kimball are responsible for Kroger’s operating units, while Kash oversees the grocer’s enterprise retail operations, which include asset protection, corporate food technology and e-commerce.
