The news: Kroger has named Greg Foran as its new CEO, effective immediately. He succeeds interim CEO Ron Sargent, who took over in March 2025 following the ouster of Rodney McMullen after a personal conduct probe.

The hire brings an outside reset to the nation’s largest supermarket operator after the failed Albertsons merger and months of leadership instability.

The background: Foran’s background fits the task. Most recently CEO of Air New Zealand, he previously led Walmart US through 2019, where heavy investment in ecommerce helped transform the business into a major force. In 2016, Walmart’s US ecommerce sales totaled just $9.55 billion; three years later, online sales were $26.48 billion. That momentum laid the groundwork for today’s ecommerce juggernaut, which we expect to grow to $137.94 billion by 2027.