CINCINNATI, Dec. 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co.
(NYSE: KR) today announced its succession plan for group vice
president and chief digital officer.
Kevin Dougherty, 63, group vice
president and chief digital officer, will retire on Jan. 27, 2017, after 15 years of distinguished
service.
Yael Cosset, 43, chief commercial officer and chief information
officer of 84.51°, will succeed Mr. Dougherty effective upon his
retirement.
Kevin Dougherty to Retire as
Group Vice President and Chief Digital Officer
Mr. Dougherty joined Kroger in 2001 as vice president of supply
chain operations. He was promoted to group vice president of
logistics in 2004, before being named group vice president and
chief supply chain officer in 2010. Under his leadership, Kroger
made considerable progress on its associate safety
initiatives.
In 2012, Mr. Dougherty was promoted to group vice president of
digital and Vitacost, where he has overseen Kroger's development of
ClickList, an order online and pick up at the store service, which
has grown to more than 550 locations including Harris Teeter's ExpressLane service. He
was named group vice president and chief digital officer in
2015.
"Kevin has been an integral partner in leading both our
logistics operation and, over the last several years, leading
Kroger's strategic entry into the digital space," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "He
has led Kroger's e-commerce and digital customer strategy during a
period of tremendous growth and change, driving innovation and
reshaping our customers' digital experience. Kevin is a proven
leader and passionate advocate for our associates and our
customers. We wish him, his wife Barbara, and their family all the
best in retirement."
Yael Cosset Promoted to Lead Digital and Vitacost
Yael Cosset joined dunnhumby in 2009 as executive vice president
of consumer markets. He was named global chief information officer
in 2011 and led technology and product matters. He also served as
chief executive officer of KSS Retail, a dunnhumby company and
global enterprise software provider of price modeling and
optimization solutions for retailers worldwide. In both roles, Mr.
Cosset collaborated closely with executives at Kroger as well as
Tesco, Macy's and Raley's among others, to deliver innovative
customer insight and personalization platforms. He was named to his
current role at 84.51° in 2015.
"Yael is a passionate advocate for using customer science to
make a difference in the lives of our customers. His deep
experience in applying technology and innovation in retail make him
a perfect fit for this important role," said Mr. McMullen. "Yael is
a thoughtful and collaborative leader who will empower his team to
create innovative solutions that deliver a differentiating and
meaningful, personalized experience to our customers."
Mr. Cosset and his wife, Judy, live with their son in
Greater Cincinnati.
Every day, the Kroger Family of Companies makes a difference in
the lives of eight and a half million customers and 431,000
associates who shop or serve in 2,796 retail food stores under a
variety of local banner names in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Kroger and its
subsidiaries operate an expanding ClickList offering – a
personalized, order online, pick up at the store service – in
addition to 2,253 pharmacies, 787 convenience stores, 324 fine
jewelry stores, 1,439 supermarket fuel centers and 38 food
production plants in the United
States. Kroger is recognized as one of America's most
generous companies for its support of more than 100 Feeding America
food bank partners, breast cancer research and awareness, the
military and their families, and more than 145,000 community
organizations including schools. A leader in supplier diversity,
Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar
Roundtable.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.