The Kroger Co. named Mark Ibbotson executive vice president and chief store operations officer, effective Sept. 14, as the retailer seeks to streamline complex store operations and enhance digital and physical capabilities.
Ibbotson brings three decades of retail leadership experience, including roles as chief operating officer at Asda, senior vice president of innovation and executive vice president of central operations at Walmart U.S., and senior advisor at McKinsey & Company. His appointment follows a career spanning Loss Prevention Director, Productivity Director, and Retail Director roles.
Kroger CEO Greg Foran highlighted Ibbotson’s track record, stating that he has ‘done this work at scale, and he has done it exceptionally well.’ Foran added that Ibbotson ‘knows what it takes to simplify complex operations, bring out the best in frontline teams, and build the digital and physical capabilities that win with customers.’
The appointment comes as Kroger, which operates more than 400,000 associates serving over 11 million customers daily through eCommerce and retail food stores, continues to focus on operational efficiency and customer experience enhancements.
