Kroger Co. names former Walmart exec as chief store operations officer
The Kroger Co. has added a retail veteran to its C-suite.
The grocery giant said that Mark Ibbotson will join the company as executive VP and chief store operations officer, effective Sept. 14.
Ibbotson began his retail career in the U.K., including roles at Sainsbury's, before joining Walmart’s former subsidiary Asda in 2004. He rose through a series of operational and leadership positions before being named COO.
In 2015, Ibbotson joined Walmart U.S. as senior VP of innovation, with a mandate to simplify store operations and introduce new technologies to improve the customer experience and associate productivity. His responsibilities expanded significantly over time, and he became executive VP of central operations and realty. The position encompassed store operations, real estate, asset protection and key elements of Walmart's digital transformation, including the architecture and launch of the grocery eCommerce business.
During his tenure at Walmart, Ibbotson helped lead the rollout of the company's e-commerce platform, including pickup and delivery services that became a cornerstone of Walmart's omnichannel strategy. He also supported the development of Walmart Academies for associate training.
Ibbotson is the second Walmart executive that Kroger has hired in recent weeks. In August, the company named Nate Faust as executive VP and chief e-commerce officer. Faust is the co-founder and former CEO of e-commerce marketplace Jet.com, which was acquired by Walmart in 2016. Faust went on to serve as senior VP of Walmart U.S. e-commerce.
Since leaving Walmart in 2020, Ibbotson has worked as a strategic advisor to retail and technology companies and has served as a senior advisor for McKinsey & Company for the last four years.
Through his senior leadership roles at Walmart and Asda, Ibbotson built a reputation as an operations specialist and innovator in omnichannel retail, Kroger said in a statement.
"Mark has done this work at scale, and he has done it exceptionally well," said Greg Foran, CEO of Kroger. "He knows what it takes to simplify complex operations, bring out the best in frontline teams, and build the digital and physical capabilities that win with customers.”
[READ MORE: Kroger teams with Instacart to combine prescription and grocery delivery]
