Kroger on the hunt for a COO

Cincinnati -- Kroger now finds itself in need of a COO.



In an abrupt announcement, Kroger on Tuesday said president and COO Mike Ellis has retired after 40 years with the company. The grocer said a successor will be named at a later date.



"We're very grateful to Mike for his contributions over the past 40 years, and we wish him all the best in retirement," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "We have long taken a team approach to leadership and together our highly-experienced team of operators and merchandisers is focused on delivering on our aggressive growth goals."



Ellis joined Fred Meyer in 1975 as a parcel clerk at age 16, and went on to serve in a series of operations and merchandising leadership positions in stores, division management and as a corporate officer. He was VP of Fred Meyer's food group before joining Kroger as a senior officer in 2004. He returned to lead Fred Meyer as president in 2006.



He was promoted to senior VP retail divisions in 2012, leading five operating divisions, as well as Kroger's jewelry and convenience store businesses, and became president and COO on Jan. 1, 2014.