Kroger names former Walmart executive Greg Foran as new CEO

The United States’ second-largest grocery retailer, The Kroger Co., announced Monday that its board of directors has appointed Greg Foran as chief executive officer, effective immediately. Foran will also join Kroger’s board, succeeding Ron Sargent, who has been serving as interim CEO since March.

The board said the appointment concludes an “extensive search process” aimed at finding an “innovative retail leader with a strong track record of execution.” In a statement, interim CEO Sargent praised Foran’s experience: “Greg is a highly respected operator who knows how to run large-scale retail businesses, strengthen store execution, and lead high-performing teams. His leadership style, focus on the customer, commitment to associates, and disciplined approach to execution are the perfect fit for Kroger.”

Foran has more than four decades of experience in complex consumer businesses. He spent six years leading Walmart U.S., overseeing the turnaround of the retailer’s largest division and driving digital initiatives such as online ordering. Under his tenure, Walmart U.S. posted comparable‑sales growth for 20 consecutive quarters and managed a network of over 4,600 stores and roughly one million employees.

Foran also served as chief executive officer of Air New Zealand for five years, where he led a full‑scale digital transformation, navigated intricate union negotiations, and steered the airline through multiple supply‑chain disruptions while investing in fleet upgrades.

Kroger, which operates more than 2,800 supermarkets and multi-department stores under names such as Kroger, Fred Meyer, and Harris Teeter.