Cincinnati's hometown grocer just hired out of the golden arches. Emilee De Martino will join Kroger as its executive vice president and chief people officer, the Cincinnati-based chain announced this week. She steps into a role long held by Tim Massa, who plans to retire on Sept. 18 after more than a decade with the company, and arrives from McDonald’s, where she led people strategy across international markets and large-scale operations.
In a press release via Kroger, the company said De Martino will begin her tenure by getting out of headquarters and into the field, engaging with associates in stores, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities and offices across the country. The release also included praise from CEO Greg Foran for her track record, and noted that De Martino will succeed Massa as the leader of the company’s people strategy as Kroger pursues growth and integration work.
De Martino's background
De Martino spent the last eight years at McDonald’s, most recently as senior vice president and chief people officer for international operated markets. In that role, she oversaw people strategy across roughly 19 countries and a workforce of more than 750,000 employees. CityBiz notes that before her time at McDonald’s, De Martino held leadership roles at CNA Financial and worked in consulting positions at Accenture and Mercer.
Why it matters for Kroger
The hire is the first executive officer CEO Greg Foran has brought to Kroger since he took over in February, an early signal that he is reshaping his leadership team, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier. It also lands at a pivotal moment: Kroger is moving to absorb Giant Eagle's roughly 197 supermarkets in a $1.65 billion deal that will extend the grocer into the Pittsburgh and Cleveland markets and create a sizable integration challenge for HR and operations. The scale of that acquisition was detailed by the AP.
Massa’s Sept. 18 retirement was first announced in May, part of a broader wave of senior-level changes that have followed Foran’s arrival and that industry coverage has described as an ongoing reshuffle of Kroger’s leadership. Grocery Dive reported the retirement and noted Massa’s 16 years with the company.
Kroger has said De Martino will spend her first weeks on the job meeting associates across the business to get a clear read on the company’s culture and priorities, with more organizational details expected as integration work moves ahead. Kroger said it expects her appointment to help guide talent and culture efforts through what is shaping up to be a major expansion phase.
