Kroger Appoints New Senior VP of Retail Divisions

CINCINNATI -- The Kroger Co. promoted Mark Tuffin to senior vice president of retail divisions, succeeding Michael Ellis who will become Kroger's president and chief operating officer on Jan. 1.

Tuffin has been president of Kroger's Salt Lake City-based Smith's Food and Drug Stores division since 2011. He brings more than 32 years of grocery industry experience to his new role.

Tuffin worked in various positions with other supermarket retailers before joining Smith's in 1996, where he has held several key leadership roles, including vice president of merchandising. In 2009, Tuffin was named vice president of transition for Kroger. In this role, he led the company'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," Ellis said. "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."

Kroger operates more than 780 convenience stores, along with roughly 2,400 supermarkets and multidepartment stores in 31 states under two dozen banner names. Its c-store banners include Kwik Shop, Turkey Hill Minit Markets, Loaf N' Jug and Tom Thumb Food Stores.