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GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2016 www.gourmetnews.com RETAILER NEWS 1 3 Kroger Announces Retirement of Bill Breetz, Names Three New Division Presidents The Kroger Co. announced the retirement of Houston division President Bill Breetz, and the promotion of Marlene Stewart to succeed him. Stewart currently serves as president of the company's Dillons division. Kroger also announced the promotion of Pam Matthews to serve as President of the company's QFC division. Matthews cur- rently serves as vice president of operations for Kroger's Delta division. She succeeds Dennis Gibson, who was recently named President of the King Soopers/City Market division. "Kroger has an exceptionally strong team of leaders who are fueling our growth and improving our connection with cus- tomers," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's Chairman and CEO. "Marlene, Colleen and Pam bring unmatched depth and experi- ence to their new roles. They will help Kroger continue to make a difference for our customers, associates, and communi- ties – and by doing so create value for our shareholders." Bill Breetz Retires After 44 Years of Service Bill Breetz retired from the company on Au- gust 26 after 44 years of service. "Bill's extraordinary career demonstrates a passion for people and a passion for re- sults. He leads by caring deeply about as- sociates and developing future leaders," McMullen said. "Bill's leadership has con- tributed to Kroger's success and growth. The entire Kroger family thanks Bill for his many contributions over the years and wishes he and his family all the best in re- tirement." Breetz began his Kroger career in 1972 as a bagger in Louisville, Kentucky. After earning a degree at the University of Louisville in 1977, he joined the man- agement training program and was named a co-manager in Cincinnati. He served in several leadership positions through the years, including store and district management and vice president of merchandising for the compa- ny'sCincinnati/Dayton division. In 2000, Breetz was promoted to executive vice president of Kroger's Southwest division with responsibility for operations in Dal- las. In 2001, he assumed responsibility for operations in Houston as well. He was named president of the Southwest Division in 2002, and president of the Houston Division in 2015. Breetz has been active in a variety of community organizations throughout his career, most recently supporting the Houston Food Bank, the Greater Houston Partnership, the Boy Scouts of America, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and other local charities. Breetz and his wife, Jo Ann, have three children and three grandchildren. Marlene Stewart Promoted to President of Houston Division Marlene Stewart, currently president of the Dillons division, succeeds Breetz as Presi- dent of the Houston Division. Stewart started her career with Kroger in 1977 as a bagger in the company's Cincin- nati division, where she worked full-time while attending the University of Cincin- nati. She went on to serve in many leader- ship roles in Cincinnati, including store and district management, training and mer- chandising. In 2005, she was named direc- tor of operations for Kroger's Mid-Atlantic division before being named vice president of operations in 2007. She was named vice president of merchandising in the com- pany's QFC division in 2011. She was named to her role with the Dillons division in 2015. Colleen Juergensen Promoted to President of Dillons Division Colleen Juergensen succeeds Stewart as President of the Dillons division. Juergensen began her Kroger career with the Dillons division in 1981. She served in various leadership roles of increasing re- sponsibility including store manager, zone manager, and director of advertising. In 2008, Juergensen was promoted to Dillons vice president of operations. She was named vice president of operations of Smith's in 2012 and became vice president of merchandising for Smith's in 2015. Pam Matthews Promoted to President of QFC Division Pam Matthews has been promoted to president of the QFC Division. She re- places Dennis Gibson, who was recently named President of the King Soopers/City Market Division. Matthews began her career with the company's Fred Meyer division, based in Portland, Oregon, in 1980. Throughout her 25-year career with Fred Meyer, she held a variety of leader- ship roles in store management, corporate brand development, and merchandising. She also served as director of deli/bakery merchandising and director of floral mer- chandising and procurement at Kroger's general offices in Cincinnati before being promoted to vice president of merchandis- ing for the Central division in 2006. She was named vice president of merchandis- ing for the Delta Division in 2014 and be- came vice president of operations for the Delta Division in 2015. GN

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