Kroger Co. names a new key executive

Kroger already has a good relationship with shoppers, but the retailer is looking to elevate its brand even further by making a key hire in reputation management.

The Kroger Co. announced it has named Jessica C. Adelman to serve as Kroger's group vice president of corporate affairs, effective Nov. 1.

"Jessica brings a wealth of public affairs leadership experience and deep knowledge of the food supply chain," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and chief executive officer. "We look forward to welcoming her to our senior leadership team."

Adelman, 40, has 20 years of experience as a public affairs executive in the food industry, most recently as senior vice president of corporate affairs for Syngenta North America, a leading agriculture company, since 2008. In this role she was responsible for corporate brand oversight, government affairs, media relations, crisis and issues communications, litigation communications, internal communications and employee engagement, corporate social responsibility and giving. Ms. Adelman has held several strategic leadership roles with other companies, including director of Cargill Government Solutions.

Adelman graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College as a Russian Area Studies major and lived in the former Soviet Union for several years in the 1990s. She earned an M.B.A. from The Wharton School and an M.A. in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as an executive certificate in trade policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

As group vice president of corporate affairs, Ms. Adelman will focus on reputation management, including external communications and brand public relations; media; government and regulatory affairs; corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability; community relations; crisis management; cause-marketing and corporate philanthropy.

Adelman will relocate with her husband and three children to Cincinnati from greater Washington, D.C., where she currently resides.

Kroger, one of the world's largest retailers, employs nearly 400,000 associates who serve customers in 2,626 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The company also operates 780 convenience stores, 327 fine jewelry stores, 1,342 supermarket fuel centers and 37 food processing plants in the U.S. Recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in America, Kroger supports hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and community organizations. Kroger contributes food and funds equal to 200 million meals a year through more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber's Million Dollar Club.