Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen Resigns Abruptly Amid ‘Personal Conduct’ Investigation

CEO Rodney McMullen Resigns: Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen is resigning immediately from the grocery store chain following an investigation that found his personal conduct was “inconsistent” with the company’s ethics policies.

Last month, Kroger said it was “made aware of certain personal conduct” of McMullen, prompting the board to conduct an investigation. No additional details about what it discovered was revealed, but the company said his conduct isn’t related to the company’s “financial performance, operations or reporting, and it did not involve any Kroger associates.”

Most recently McMullen had overseen Kroger's unsuccessful attempt to buy the second-largest supermarket chain, Albertsons. The historic grocery mega-merger faced opposition from the Biden administration's antitrust officials and several state attorneys general.

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After more than two years of trying, the deal died in December after the companies failed to convince multiple courts that they should be allowed to merge to take on bigger rivals such as Walmart. Albertsons abandoned the merger and immediately sued Kroger.

“As interim CEO, I am committed to working alongside our proven and experienced management team and dedicated associates to ensure Kroger continues providing exceptional value for our customers,” Sargent said in a press statement on Monday.

McMullen had led Kroger as CEO since 2014. He originally joined Kroger in 1978 as a part-time stocker. He had earlier served as chief operating officer, chief financial officer and a board director for over a decade.

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Late last year, McMullen was trying to vacuum up a third grocery store — Albertsons — but the courts blocked the $25 billion attempted acquisition citing regulatory concerns.

“Over the years, Ron has played an integral role in the development and approval of Kroger’s strategy, which has led us to the position of strength where we are today,” Sutton said. “Kroger will continue to deliver for our customers, invest in our associates, strengthen our communities, and reward our shareholders under Ron’s leadership.”

Kroger operates more than 2,700 grocery stores, with locations in 35 states and Washington, DC.

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