Kroger Co. here on Tuesday said it has named Mark Tuffin senior vice president of retail operations, succeeding Michael Ellis.
As previously reported, Ellis was named president and chief operating officer, effective Jan. 1, filling the posts previously held by Rodney McMullen, who was named to succeed David Dillon as chief executive officer.
Tuffin, 53, has been president of the company’s Smith's Food and Drug Stores division, based in Salt Lake City, since 2011. He has more than 32 years of grocery industry experience. 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.
In 2009, he was named vice president of transition for Kroger. In this role, he led Kroger's efforts to implement significant organizational changes between all areas of the business.
"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."
