CINCINNATI, 2016-Feb-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced that Senior Vice President for Retail Operations and Strategic Initiatives Marnette Perry plans to retire on April 29, after 44 years with the company.
“Marnette’s story is one we can all be proud of: she joined Kroger for a job as a part-time cashier while in college, and stayed for a remarkable career that spanned operations, merchandising and executive leadership,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO. “Marnette’s significant contributions will leave an indelible mark on Kroger. The entire Kroger family thanks Marnette for her years of service and we wish her and her family all the best in retirement.”
Ms. Perry joined Kroger in 1972 as a part-time cashier in Portsmouth, Ohio, in the Columbus division. She went on to serve in leadership positions with increasing responsibility. At Kroger’s general office, she served as director of produce merchandising and procurement. She was later promoted to president of the Michigan division in 1997, and named president of the Columbus division in 2001. Ms. Perry was promoted to group vice president of perishables for The Kroger Co. in 2003. In 2004, she was named senior vice president of retail divisions, where she was responsible for eight supermarket operating divisions and more than $40 billion in annual revenue. She took on her current role, overseeing strategic initiatives and operations for Kroger, as well as the company’s value formats, in 2012. She also serves as a member of the board of directors of Kroger Personal Finance and The Kroger Co. Foundation, and is a past board member of the Network of Executive Women.
Ms. Perry helped establish Kroger’s now-ubiquitous Natural Foods centers and Floral departments in the early 1980s. Today, Kroger is a top seller of natural and organic foods and is the world’s largest florist. More recently, as vice president of operations, Ms. Perry championed the teamwork that led to Kroger’s innovative QueVision technology, which has dramatically reduced Customers’ time spent waiting in line at checkout.
Ms. Perry has been an active leader in the communities in which she has lived. She is a member of the board of directors of Grange Insurance, the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital, and Richard J. Solove Research Institute Foundation. She has also supported the Nationwide Children’s Hospital and United Way in Columbus, Ohio; Ohio University; Central Michigan University; the YWCA; and Detroit Head Start.
Her successor will be named at a later date.
Kroger, one of the world’s largest retailers, employs more than 422,000 associates who serve customers in 2,774 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, Mariano’s, Pick ‘n Save, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s. The company also operates 786 convenience stores, 326 fine jewelry stores, 1,360 supermarket fuel centers and 37 food processing plants in the U.S. Recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in America, Kroger supports hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and community organizations. Kroger contributes food and funds equal to 200 million meals a year through more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber’s Million Dollar Club.
Kroger Family of Stores Media Contacts
The Kroger Co. – General Office
Keith Dailey
Director, Media Relations/Corporate Communications
Office: 513-762-1304
Cell: 513-257-4955
Email: keith.dailey@kroger.com
SOURCE The Kroger Co.