Kroger ups Smith's Food and Drug Stores president to SVP retail divisions

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Tuesday announced the promotion of Mark Tuffin to SVP retail divisions. He succeeds Michael Ellis, who will become Kroger's president and chief operating officer on Jan. 1.

"Mark is an exceptional leader with an extensive knowledge of the grocery industry," Ellis said. "He has made significant contributions to our company and industry, while always championing our Customer 1st strategy. We look forward to Mark's leadership in this senior role as we continue to accelerate Kroger's growth."

Tuffin, 53, has been president of the company's Smith's Food and Drug Stores division since 2011. He brings more than 32 years of grocery industry experience to his new role. He held various positions with other supermarket retailers before joining Smith's Food and Drug Stores in 1996, where he held several key leadership roles including VP merchandising. In 2009, Tuffin was named VP transition for Kroger. In this role, he led Kroger's efforts to implement significant organizational changes between all areas of the business.

Tuffin and his wife, Tami, will relocate to Cincinnati in 2014.