Cincinnati — The Kroger Co. has a succession plan for its group vice president and chief digital officer. Kevin Dougherty, group vice president and chief digital officer, will retire on Jan. 27, 2017. Yael Cosset, chief commercial officer and chief information officer of 84.51°, will succeed Dougherty effective upon his retirement.
Dougherty joined Kroger in 2001 as vice president of supply chain operations. He was promoted to group vice president of logistics in 2004, before being named group vice president and chief supply chain officer in 2010.
In 2012, Dougherty was promoted to group vice president of digital and Vitacost, where he has overseen Kroger’s development of ClickList, an order online and pick up at the store service, which has grown to more than 550 locations including Harris Teeter’s ExpressLane service. He was named group vice president and chief digital officer in 2015.
“Kevin has been an integral partner in leading both our logistics operation and, over the last several years, leading Kroger’s strategic entry into the digital space,” says Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO. “He has led Kroger’s e-commerce and digital customer strategy during a period of tremendous growth and change, driving innovation and reshaping our customers’ digital experience. Kevin is a proven leader and passionate advocate for our associates and our customers. We wish him, his wife Barbara, and their family all the best in retirement.”
Cosset served as chief executive officer of KSS Retail, a global enterprise software provider of price modeling and optimization solutions for retailers worldwide. Here he collaborated closely with executives at Kroger as well as Tesco, Macy’s and Raley’s, among others. Cosset was named to his current role at 84.51° in 2015.
“Yael is a passionate advocate for using customer science to make a difference in the lives of our customers. His deep experience in applying technology and innovation in retail make him a perfect fit for this important role,” says McMullen. “
The Kroger Family of Companies has 2,253 pharmacies, 787 convenience stores, 324 fine jewelry stores, 1,439 supermarket fuel centers and 38 food production plants in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.kroger.com.
SOURCE: The Kroger Co.