Effective immediately, Kroger has named Greg Foran as its new CEO, replacing Interim CEO Ron Sargent, who will continue to serve as Chairman of the Kroger board to ensure a smooth transition. Foran brings over four decades of experience leading large consumer businesses across five countries, most recently as CEO of Air New Zealand. Foran also led Walmart U.S. for six years, where he oversaw a turnaround of the company’s largest division until 2019.
Sargent was named Interim CEO following the March 2025 resignation of longtime Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen, who left following an internal investigation into his personal conduct that, “while unrelated to the business, was inconsistent with Kroger’s Policy on Business Ethics,” according to a company statement.
At Air New Zealand, Foran led a digital transformation to improve the customer experience, guiding the airline through significant disruption amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During his five-year tenure as CEO he led complex union negotiations, managed supply chain challenges and invested in fleet upgrades.
“Greg is a highly respected operator who knows how to run large-scale retail businesses, strengthen store execution and lead high-performing teams,” said Sargent in a statement. “His leadership style, focus on the customer, commitment to associates and disciplined approach to execution are the perfect fit for Kroger.”
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In December 2025 Kroger said it would boost new store builds by 30% in FY 2026 and move to a hybrid ecommerce fulfillment model, following the closure of three automated fulfillment centers operated by Ocado.
