Cincinnati — The Kroger Co. has named Joe Grieshaber as its new president of Fred Meyer Stores, replacing Jeff Burt, who resigned on March 20, 2017 to become Target Corporation’s senior vice president of grocery, fresh food and beverage. Grieshaber had been serving as president of Kroger’s Columbus, Ohio, division.
Succeeding Grieshaber will be Dan De La Rosa, who has been promoted to serve as president of Kroger’s Columbus division. De La Rosa currently serves as vice president of merchandising for Fred Meyer Stores.
As president of the Fred Meyer division, Grieshaber will be based in Portland, Ore. Fred Meyer Stores offers one-stop shopping at multi-department stores in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
“Joe is known throughout the retail industry as an exceptional leader who always brings out the best in his people and teams,” says Fred Morganthall, Kroger’s executive vice president of retail operations. “His depth of experience will help the Fred Meyer team build on their successes and continue to innovate and deliver a unique shopping experience for our customers.”
Grieshaber began his career with Kroger in 1983 as a store management trainee in Nashville, Tenn. He has served in a variety of leadership roles with Kroger, including meat merchandiser, district manager, and vice president of merchandising for the Columbus division. He was promoted to president of Dillons in 2010, and was named to his current role in 2015.
De La Rosa will serve as president of Kroger’s Columbus division, which operates food stores primarily in central, northwest and southeast Ohio.
“Dan is a dynamic leader who combines a passion for people with strong experience in both merchandising and store operations,” says Fed Morganthall. “Dan’s commitment to associate development and putting the customers first will help ensure the Columbus division’s continued success.”
De La Rosa joined the company as a clerk’s helper in the Ralphs division in 1980, where he served in a number of store operations and merchandising roles, including store director, director of corporate brands for both Ralphs and Food 4 Less, and district manager. Since 2007, De La Rosa has served in a variety of merchandising roles, including regional director of merchandising for the company’s western region. In 2013, he was promoted to vice president of meat and seafood merchandising for The Kroger Co., and in 2015 he was named to his current role as vice merchandising for Fred Meyer.
The Kroger Family of Companies has 2,796 retail food stores under a variety of local banner names in 35 states and the District of Columbia.
SOURCE: The Kroger Co. & Target Corporation