<p> Kroger is promoting Mark Tuffin to Senior Vice President of Retail Divisions. He will succeed Michael Ellis, who will become Kroger’s President and COO on January 1, 2014. Mark was previously named Vice President of Transition in 2009, where he led the company’s efforts to implement significant organizational changes between all areas of the business, according to a press release.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> “Mark is an exceptional leader with an extensive knowledge of the grocery industry,” said Ellis. “He has made significant contributions to our company and industry, while always championing our Customer 1st strategy. We look forward to Mark’s leadership in this senior role as we continue to accelerate Kroger’s growth.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Mark, a 32 year grocery industry veteran, has been president of the company’s Smith’s Food and Drug Stores division since 2011. He held various positions with other supermarket retailers before joining Smith’s Food and Drug Stores in 1996, where he held several key leadership roles including Vice President of Merchandising.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Congratulations on your promotion, Mark!</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://ir.kroger.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=106409&p=irol-irhome" target="_new"> Kroger </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
