CINCINNATI, Feb. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co.
(NYSE: KR) today announced the retirement of Nashville division President Rick Going, and the promotion of Zane Day to succeed him. Mr. Day currently
serves as vice president of operations in the company's Smith's
division.
Kroger today also announced the promotion of Katie Wolfram to serve as president of Kroger's
Central division. Ms. Wolfram currently serves as vice president of
merchandising in the Central division. She succeeds Jeff Burt, who was recently named president of
the company's Fred Meyer
division.
Rick Going to Retire After 35
Years of Service
Rick Going will retire from the
company after 35 years of service, effective February 27.
"Throughout his notable career, Rick led by empowering his team
while always expecting excellence," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO.
"Rick's leadership in starting two new store operating divisions
has built the model for our company. The entire Kroger family
wishes Rick and his family all the best in retirement."
Mr. Going joined Kroger in 1981 as a management trainee in the
Cincinnati/Dayton Division. He
advanced to serve in many leadership roles in our stores,
districts, operations and merchandising teams. He was promoted to
vice president of operations for the Cincinnati/Dayton division in 1999, and then vice
president of merchandising in the same division in 2002. In 2007,
Mr. Going was promoted to president of the new Michigan division, which was created when the
former Great Lakes division split into what are now the Columbus
and Michigan divisions. He was
named to his current role in Nashville in 2013, when the former Mid-South
Division split to form the Nashville and Louisville divisions.
Rick and his wife, Karen, will continue to reside in the
Nashville, TN area.
Zane Day Promoted to President of the Nashville
Division
Kroger promoted Zane Day to serve
as president of the company's Nashville division.
"Zane is a strong leader who is focused on enabling our
associates and serving our customers and communities," said Mr.
McMullen. "His broad experience in our company and industry will
benefit our Nashville team."
Mr. Day began his career with Smith's on the night crew in
Ogden, Utah, in 1974. He went on
to serve in various leadership roles, including store manager and
director of merchandising. In 1998, Mr. Day was named director of
procurement at Fred Meyer's Tolleson Distribution Center. In 2000,
he was named director of deli for the Fry's division, before moving
to a similar role in the Smith's division in 2003. At Smith's, Mr.
Day was promoted to district manager and vice president of
merchandising before being named to his current role, vice
president of operations, in 2015.
Mr. Day and his wife, Debbie, plan to relocate to the
Nashville, TN area.
Katie Wolfram Promoted to President of the Central
Division
Kroger promoted Katie Wolfram to
serve as president of the company's Central division.
Kroger's Central division is based in Indianapolis and operates stores in
Indiana, Illinois and Eastern
Missouri.
"Katie's breadth of experience and deep understanding of our
company will serve our Central division team well," said Mr.
McMullen. "Katie's passion for both people and results make her the
right leader as we continue to grow in our Central division."
Ms. Wolfram began her career with Kroger in 1979 as an assistant
store manager in the Cincinnati/Dayton division. She later served as manager
of merchandising systems development and manager of consumer
research at Kroger's general office. Ms. Wolfram also served in
several leadership positions in Kroger Manufacturing, including
senior marketing manager and director of sales & marketing. In
2003, she was promoted to vice president of sales & operations
for Kroger Manufacturing. In 2005, she moved to Denver to join the King Soopers division as
vice president of merchandising. She was named to her current role,
vice president of merchandising in the Central division, in
2014.
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.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.