Dive Brief:
- Tim Massa, Kroger’s executive vice president and chief associate experience officer, plans to retire on Sept. 18, the grocer announced on Tuesday.
- Massa has served in a variety of human resources-related roles at Kroger since joining the company in 2010 from Procter & Gamble.
- Massa joins a growing list of senior Kroger executives who have elected to move on following the arrival of CEO Greg Foran in February.
Dive Insight:
Massa’s plan to leave the supermarket chain this summer is the latest sign that change is in the air at Kroger following the company’s decision to look outside for a new chief executive after former Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen’s sudden resignation in early 2025.
The company revealed Massa’s retirement plans a few days after disclosing that Valerie Jabbar retired earlier in May from her role as senior vice president of retail divisions. Jamie Lancaster, formerly global vice president of the Kroger Capability Center, also left the company in May.
Joe Kelley, who served as senior vice president of retail divisions alongside Jabbar, left Kroger and became chief operating officer of Associated Wholesale Grocers earlier this year.
Massa has served in a variety of positions at Kroger since joining the company 16 years ago as vice president of talent development. He became group vice president of human resources and labor relations in 2014, and later moved on to become chief people officer and chief associate experience officer. As the company’s top human resources executive, he oversaw functions including talent, leadership development, labor relations, total rewards, associate well-being and culture, according to Kroger.
“Tim Massa is the kind of leader every company hopes to have, and every board is fortunate to work with … He built a world-class people organization, navigated the company through some of its most defining moments and quietly shaped a generation of leaders who will carry Kroger forward for years to come," Chairman Ron Sargent — who served as Kroger’s interim CEO ahead of Foran’s appointment — said in a statement.
Massa said in a Tuesday LinkedIn post that he plans to “continue to focus on developing leaders” after retiring from Kroger through activities including executive coaching and board service, CEO succession planning and “building cultures where people can do their best work.”
