Kroger names Lynn Gust president of Fred Meyer

CINCINNATI — Long-time Fred Meyer executive Lynn Gust was named president of the 133-store Kroger division.

Gust, 59, joined Koriger in 1970 as a parcel clerk and most recently served as the company’s SVP of operations. Gust was appointed to that position in 2011 and prior to that he served as EVP of corporate merchandising and advertising. During his career Gust also served as VP of the Fred Meyer food group and SVP of store operations.

"Lynn's long history with Fred Meyer and deep knowledge of our business will serve our customers well," said Rodney McMullen, president and COO of Kroger. "His passion for our employees and customers make him a great fit to carry on the Fred Meyer tradition."

The Fred Meyer tradition is that of a uniquely positioned retailer who large format multi-department stores defy neat classification although they bear the greatest resemblance to a Walmart supercenter. Stores range in size from 65,000-sq.-ft. to 250,000-sq.-ft. and offer roughly 250,000 products.

Fred Meyer’s headquarters are located in Portland and stores are located in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. The company has 30,000 employees.

Gust was born and raised in Vancouver, Wash. He is a member of the Portland State University Food Industry Leadership Center Advisory Board; on the board of directors of the Western Association of Food Chains; and on the board of directors of the Northwest Grocery Association.