Kroger Announces New Leaders in Key Roles

Rhea-AI Summary

Kroger (NYSE: KR) announced significant leadership changes across key positions effective August 2025. Ed Oldham, former PetSmart Chief Supply Chain Officer, will join as Head of Sourcing, bringing 25 years of retail experience. Ann Reed, current Cincinnati-Dayton division president, has been promoted to group vice president of Our Brands. Jake Cannon, current Louisville division president, will become Cincinnati-Dayton division president, while Josh Harpole, current vice president of Deli, Bakery and Prepared Foods, will take over as Louisville division president.

These strategic appointments reflect Kroger's focus on strengthening its leadership team with experienced retail professionals who have demonstrated success in operations, merchandising, and customer service across various divisions.

Positive

• Appointment of Ed Oldham brings 25 years of retail and supply chain expertise from major retailers
• Internal promotion of experienced leaders demonstrates strong succession planning and talent retention
• Strategic placement of leaders with deep operational and merchandising experience in key growth areas

Negative

• Multiple simultaneous leadership changes may create temporary operational adjustments

News Market Reaction

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Ed Oldham to join retailer as Head of Sourcing

Ann Reed Named Group Vice President of Our Brands

Jake Cannon Named Cincinnati-Dayton Division President

Josh Harpole Named Louisville Division President

CINCINNATI, July 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced leadership changes in several key roles across the company.

Kroger appointed Ed Oldham to Head of Sourcing. Oldham joins Kroger from PetSmart, where he was Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer. He led the company's distribution and transportation strategy across North America, overseeing an international distribution network and 2,500 associates. Oldham brings more than 25 years of experience in retail, CPGs, and consulting, where he led planning, buying, replenishment, operations and sourcing decisions across multi-billion-dollar categories. Before joining PetSmart, Oldham held multiple leadership roles at Petco, Walmart, Ernst & Young, and Walgreens. He will join Kroger on August 4.

"Ed brings a wealth of knowledge from his time working at and supporting a variety of different retailers," said Ron Sargent, Chairman and CEO of Kroger. "Sourcing plays a critical role in making sure we can provide lower prices to our customers every day. We look forward to Ed bringing his unique experience to this role and helping us improve the customer experience."

Kroger named Ann Reed, currently president of the Cincinnati-Dayton division, as group vice president of Our Brands beginning on August 4. Reed began her career as a co-manager in the Central Division in 1993. Since then, she held a number of leadership positions including store manager, category manager, Deli/Bakery merchandiser, director of Deli/Bakery, and director of Fresh Ready Meals. Reed was promoted to vice president of Merchandising at Fry's in 2010, followed by vice president of Merchandising at Fred Meyer in 2013. She was named vice president of Customer 1^st Promise in 2015, promoted to Louisville division president in 2017, and named Cincinnati-Dayton division president in 2022.

"Ann has deep experience across our organization, and she understands what our customers want to buy," continued Sargent. "She worked in divisions throughout the country getting to know how our customers want to shop and what they want to buy. Ann is bringing a great perspective on the ways we can better take advantage of the significant growth opportunities Our Brands represents for Kroger."

Kroger appointed Jake Cannon, currently president of the Louisville division, to replace Ann Reed as president of the Cincinnati-Dayton division beginning on August 1. Cannon has more than 20 years of retail experience, beginning his Kroger career as a Produce clerk in the Smith's division in 1999. He held various leadership roles, including assistant store manager, store manager, lead HR coordinator, Key Retailing special assignment, Customer 1^st Promise manager, district manager, and division Meat merchandiser. Cannon was named director of Operations for the Cincinnati-Dayton division, vice president of Freshness & Standards for Retail Operations, then served as vice president of Operations for the Cincinnati-Dayton division, and was named Louisville division president in 2022.

"Jake is a great merchandiser and leader who understands the Cincinnati-Dayton division that Kroger calls home," continued Sargent. "He knows how to run successful stores that our customers love, support his associates and invest in our communities. We look forward to the great things that Jake will bring to Greater Cincinnati."

Kroger named Josh Harpole, currently vice president of Deli, Bakery and Prepared Foods, to succeed Jake Cannon as Louisville division president. Harpole joined the company as a courtesy clerk in the King Soopers division in 1994. He held a variety of leadership positions in the division, including Bakery, Customer Service, and General Merchandising manager, store manager, operations coordinator, assistant merchandiser, and district manager before being promoted to vice president of Merchandising for the Louisville division. Harpole was appointed to his current position in 2020.

"Josh knows how to lead great teams," continued Sargent. "He has deep experience across our company as well as spending time leading our strategy in categories we know are important to our customers. Josh makes selling fun, and he will be a great addition to our team of division presidents as well as an asset to the Louisville community."

About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family of companies more than 400,000 associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through an eCommerce experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

 

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SOURCE The Kroger Co.

FAQ

Who is the new Head of Sourcing at Kroger (NYSE: KR)?

Ed Oldham will join Kroger as Head of Sourcing on August 4, 2025. He previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer at PetSmart, bringing over 25 years of retail experience.

What position will Ann Reed take at Kroger in August 2025?

Ann Reed will become group vice president of Our Brands at Kroger, moving from her current role as Cincinnati-Dayton division president.

Who will be the new Cincinnati-Dayton division president at Kroger?

Jake Cannon, currently Louisville division president, will become the new Cincinnati-Dayton division president starting August 1, 2025.

Who is taking over as Kroger's Louisville division president?

Josh Harpole, currently vice president of Deli, Bakery and Prepared Foods, will become the new Louisville division president.

When do these Kroger leadership changes take effect?

The leadership changes will take effect in early August 2025, with most transitions occurring on August 1st and 4th.