CINCINNATI, OH - Kroger's Chairman of the Board, David B. Dillon, has announced his intention to retire from his position at the end of the year. When he steps down on December 31st, putting a capstone on 38 years of exemplary to the retailer, CEO Rodney McMullen will be assuming Dillon's former position as Chairman.
"For Dave, Customer 1st– which truly put our customers at the center of how Kroger runs its business – was more than a successful business strategy," McMullen shared. "It was a philosophy that he believed and lived through his actions every day, and as a result he inspired thousands of our associates during his many years of service to Kroger and Dillons Companies. He understood that Kroger's greatest asset is the trust that our customers, associates and shareholders have in our company. We are all the beneficiaries of Dave's extraordinary leadership."
This was the second major change to Kroger's Board of Directors announced that day. According to a press release, Nora A. Aufreiter was also elected to the Company's Board of Directors during this period of decision making.
"We are delighted to welcome Nora to Kroger," Dillon shared. "With her broad business experience and consumer and digital expertise, Nora will be a great addition to Kroger's Board."
McMullen, who has served on Kroger's Board since 2003, has worked closely with Dillon over the course of his career with the retailer. During their time together, the two were instrumental in crafting Kroger's Customer 1st Strategy through their creation of a long-term price investment strategy for the retailer. This strategy allowed Kroger to deliver sustainable business growth and shareholder returns, while saving shoppers $3 billion annually through price cuts. This laid the foundation for the growth plan Kroger revealed in October 2012, which expands the Customer 1st Strategy by:
- Accelerating growth in Kroger's core business
- Improving customer connections
- Expanding Kroger's retail presence in new and existing markets
- Innovating in order to foster unique competitive positioning going forward
Dillon also worked to establish Kroger as a leader in sustainability, working to reduce energy consumption in stores by 35% since 2000 and its carbon footprint by 4.4% since 2006. Today, over half of Kroger's manufacturing facilities are zero waste operations.
According to a press release, Dillon served as Kroger's chairman from 2004 to 2014 and as CEO from 2003 to 2013, before which he held a variety of executive positions with Kroger and Dillons Companies. Kroger and Dillons Companies merged in 1983.
AndNowUKnow would like to wish Dillon the best in this next exciting phase of his life!
