New chief digital officer for Kroger

The Kroger Co. has tapped an insider as its next chief digital officer.



The supermarket giant announced that 15-year-veteran Kevin Dougherty, 63, group VP and chief digital officer, will retire on Jan. 27, 2017. He will be succeeded by Yael Cosset, 43, chief commercial officer and CIO of 84.51, a customer engagement firm and subsidiary of Kroger.



Cosset joined dunnhumby in 2009 as executive VP of consumer markets. He was named global chief information officer in 2011 and led technology and product matters. He also served as CEO of KSS Retail, a dunnhumby company and global enterprise software provider of price modeling and optimization solutions for retailers worldwide.



In both roles, Cosset collaborated closely with executives at Kroger as well as Tesco, Macy's and Raley's among others, to deliver innovative customer insight and personalization platforms. He was named to his current role at 84.51 in 2015.



"Yael is a passionate advocate for using customer science to make a difference in the lives of our customers. His deep experience in applying technology and innovation in retail make him a perfect fit for this important role," said McMullen.