In announcing the retirement of Mark Tuffin, The Kroger Co. has appointed Kenny Kimball, currently president of the Smith’s division, to the position Tuffin’s leaving, senior vp of retail divisions.
Kimball joined Kroger in 1984 as a courtesy clerk in the Smith’s division. In this new role, Kimball will oversee retail divisions across the Kroger organization and, in the interim, will also have responsibility for the Smith’s Division.
Tuffin began his grocery industry career with Smitty’s and moved over to Smith’s in 1996. He became Kroger’s senior vp of retail divisions in 2014.
“Kenny is truly an inspirational leader that effectively balances a passion for people and a passion for results with tremendous experience across our organization, ranging from courtesy clerk to division president,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO, in announcing the executive changes. “He is driven, passionate, and respected for his ability to see the big picture while also putting his associates and customers first. We’re excited to bring his perspective and experience to our senior leadership team.”
