Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen has had a rather straightforward transition into the role of CEO of Kroger. It’s a story of hard work, determination, and reward. With a background of diverse skills and experience and direct path to the top, it almost seems like Rodney has been preparing for his preordained role his entire life.
Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen’s Rise to Power
Born in Pineville Kentucky in 1960/1961, Rodney’s family owned a farm which might have provided an easy transition for Rodney’s professional adult life.
Instead, Rodney became the first of his family to graduate from college after he received a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Kentucky.
During his college years, Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen began his career at a local Kroger grocery store in 1978 as a stock clerk. As he progressed in his career, he ended up living in Charlotte as a financial analyst at Kroger’s corporate headquarters and eventually rose to their CFO.
One of his notable contributions came in the form of being a key player in Kroger’s merger with Fred Meyer Inc. in 1999.
According to Kroger’s short biography of Rodney McMullen, he was promoted to vice chairman in 2003 and COO in 2009 before being appointed as CEO in 2014 and chairman of the board in 2015.
Controversy Surrounding Rodney McMullen
It’s impossible to be a perfect CEO, let alone a human being, but there are some financial issues that Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen has been criticized for.
According to a news report by Cincinnati.com and CNBC, Rodney’s salary gap with Kroger’s median employee salary is among the largest in America.
In October 2022, Kroger was sued and was forced to compensate two employees $180,000 for religious discrimination involving enforced uniforms with Pride logos.
During the height of the pandemic in 2021, Rodney McMullen was notoriously called out for refusing to agree to hazard pay for Kroger employees. Rather, he decided to close stores instead of harming the livelihood of both employees and consumers who needed groceries.
That concludes our coverage on Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen , and if you’re interested in knowing more about the origin of Kroger you can check out our related article.
There is also a hot debate about Kroger Albertsons merger taking place in 2023 that’s being contested by the FTC and Teamsters union.
Consumers have also began sharing how more Kroger grocery store supermarkets are starting to take Apple Pay.
For more background information about prominent business leaders, read our feature on Sam Walton, CEO of Walmart, from our CEO series here at RetailWire.
