Kroger today named Victor Smith as Senior Vice President of Retail Divisions, marking the culmination of a 42-year career that began in 1983 as a courtesy clerk. Smith has held roles including vice president of Operations in Houston (2015), vice president of Merchandising at Ralphs (2016), president of the Delta Division (2018) and president of the Atlanta Division (2022). He joins Valerie Jabbar and Joe Kelley in the company’s SVP ranks. Smith’s board positions with the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation and the Georgia Food Industry Association, together with his 2025 CEO of the Year award from the Georgia Minority Business Association, underscore his strategic influence on Kroger’s enterprise-wide growth initiatives.

Monica Garnes, with 31 years at Kroger and leadership roles from produce buyer to president of the Fry’s Division, will assume the presidency of the Atlanta Division. Garnes has served on the University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees and Arizona Commerce Authority Board. Ken DeLuca, a 38-year Kroger veteran whose tenure spans clerk to president of the Michigan Division, has been promoted to president of the Fry’s Division. DeLuca’s governance experience includes the Rags Remembered Foundation and Kansas Children’s Service League, reflecting his community engagement alongside operational leadership.

After seven years leading the Ralphs Division and more than 42 years in retail, Tom Schwilke will retire; he joined Kroger in 2019 as Dallas Division president. Kendra Doyel, with 26 years of Kroger experience including roles in HR and merchandising across four divisions, will succeed him as president of Ralphs. Colleen Juergensen, who began as a bakery clerk in 1981 and rose to president of the Central Division in 2016, will also retire after 45 years. Both transitions maintain Kroger’s emphasis on internal development and institutional knowledge retention.