CINCINNATI, Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co.
(NYSE: KR) today announced Valerie
Jabbar, currently president of the Ralphs division, as group
vice president of merchandising for the company, effective
September 1. Mike Murphy, currently vice president of
operations for the Columbus division, will succeed Ms. Jabbar as
president of the Ralphs division.
Valerie Jabbar Named Group Vice President of
Merchandising
Ms. Jabbar began her Kroger career in 1987 as
a clerk in the Fry's division. She has held several leadership
roles, including assistant store director, category manager,
drug/general merchandise coordinator, corporate seasonal manager,
and director of drug/general merchandise, as well as district
manager in the Fry's division. In 2012, she moved to the
Mid-Atlantic division to serve as vice president of merchandising
before joining the Ralphs division in 2013 as vice president of
merchandising. Ms. Jabbar was promoted to division president in
July 2016.
"Valerie brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and insight to
this role," said Mike Donnelly,
Kroger's executive vice president and COO. "As we continue the work
of Restock Kroger, her ability to lead and deliver for our
associates and customers will continue to transform our
business."
Ms. Jabbar serves as the president of the Food Industries Circle
and is a board member for the Western Association of Food Chains,
as well as the food industry executive in residence for the
USC Marshall School of Business. She is
a mentor for emerging leaders through the Ralphs division's women's
associate resource group and was named a "Rising Star" by
Progressive Grocer in its 2012 Top Women in Grocery
awards.
Mike Murphy Promoted to President of Ralphs
Division
Mr. Murphy joined Kroger in 1999 as an accountant
in the company's auditing department in Cincinnati. He moved
to finance in 2001 and then to drug/general merchandise
to manage financial reporting and analysis. In 2004,
he completed the management development program in the
Cincinnati/Dayton division. In 2005, he was named a
category manager for drug/general merchandise and personal care. In
2007, he moved to the Central division in Indiana and served as assistant merchandiser
for both drug/general merchandise and grocery. In 2011, Mr. Murphy
moved to the Louisville division
as a grocery merchandiser and was promoted to district manager in
2014. He was promoted to vice president of merchandising in the
Columbus division in 2016, and then to his current role in
2017.
"Mike is a dynamic leader who brings great passion to our
business," said Mr. Donnelly "His strong commitment to our
purpose and promise, and extensive grocery retail experience, make
him a great asset to our Ralphs division."
Ralphs is headquartered in Compton,
California. It operates 191 stores in Southern California and employs more than
21,000 associates.
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose:
to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are nearly half a million
associates who serve over nine million customers daily through a
seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 retail food stores
under a variety of banner names, serving America through food
inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste
communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and
investor relations site.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.