Rodney McMullen

Rodney McMullen
Born	William Rodney McMullen 1961
Birthplace	Pineville, Kentucky, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Businessman
Known for	Chairman and CEO of The Kroger Company (2014–2025)
Education	University of Kentucky (BS, MS)
Spouse(s)	Kathryn King McMullen

William Rodney McMullen (born 1961) is an American businessman who served as the chairman and chief executive officer of The Kroger Company, one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States, from 2014 until his abrupt resignation in March 2025. A career-long Kroger executive who joined the company shortly after completing his graduate education, McMullen rose through the corporate ranks over more than three decades, holding senior positions in finance, strategy, and operations before ascending to the company's top leadership role. Under his tenure as CEO, Kroger expanded its digital grocery capabilities, pursued strategic acquisitions, and attempted a landmark merger with Albertsons Companies that was ultimately blocked by federal regulators. McMullen's departure from the company came following an internal investigation that found his personal conduct did not align with Kroger's policies on business ethics, a conclusion that led to his resignation and the forfeiture of millions of dollars in unvested compensation. The circumstances surrounding his exit became the subject of legal proceedings and public scrutiny in the months that followed.

Early Life

William Rodney McMullen was born in 1961 in Pineville, Kentucky, a small city in the southeastern part of the state in Bell County. Pineville, located in the Appalachian region of Kentucky, had a modest population and an economy historically centered around coal mining and related industries. McMullen grew up in this rural community before pursuing higher education at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.

His upbringing in a small Appalachian town has been noted in profiles of McMullen as contextual background for his subsequent rise to lead one of America's largest corporations. His trajectory from Pineville to the helm of a Fortune 500 company represented a significant path of professional advancement that would unfold almost entirely within a single organization over the course of several decades.

Education

McMullen attended the University of Kentucky, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in accounting. His academic background in accounting provided the foundation for his early career at Kroger, where he initially worked in the company's financial operations. The University of Kentucky, the flagship public research university in the state, has recognized McMullen as one of its notable alumni.

Career

Early Career at Kroger

McMullen joined The Kroger Company after completing his graduate studies, beginning what would become a career spanning more than three decades at the Cincinnati-based grocery retailer. His background in accounting positioned him for roles in the company's financial division, and he steadily advanced through the corporate hierarchy over the ensuing years.

Over the course of his career at Kroger, McMullen held a series of increasingly senior positions that gave him broad exposure to the company's operations. He served in roles encompassing finance, strategic planning, and general management, gaining experience across multiple facets of the grocery retail business. His long tenure within the organization and the breadth of his operational experience were cited as factors in his eventual selection for the company's top leadership position.

Appointment as CEO

In September 2013, Kroger announced that McMullen would succeed David Dillon as the company's chief executive officer, with the transition taking effect on January 1, 2014. The selection of McMullen, a lifelong Kroger executive, was consistent with the company's longstanding tradition of promoting its chief executives from within the organization. McMullen also assumed the role of chairman of the board of directors, making him both chairman and CEO of what was at the time one of the largest grocery chains in the United States.

At the time of his appointment, Kroger operated thousands of supermarkets and multi-department stores across the country under various banners. The company was the third-largest general retailer in the United States, and McMullen took the helm during a period of significant change in the grocery industry, with increasing competition from discount retailers, the expansion of online grocery shopping, and shifting consumer preferences reshaping the market landscape.

Tenure as Chairman and CEO

During McMullen's tenure as CEO from 2014 to 2025, Kroger pursued a range of strategic initiatives aimed at maintaining and strengthening its competitive position in the grocery retail sector. The company invested in digital capabilities, expanded its e-commerce and delivery operations, and sought to modernize its supply chain and store operations.

One of the most significant strategic moves during McMullen's leadership was Kroger's proposed merger with Albertsons Companies, announced in October 2022. The deal, valued at approximately $24.6 billion, would have combined two of the largest grocery chains in the United States, creating a supermarket conglomerate with thousands of stores nationwide. The proposed merger faced intense regulatory scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and opposition from labor unions, consumer advocacy groups, and some state attorneys general who argued it would reduce competition and potentially lead to higher prices and store closures. Federal regulators ultimately moved to block the transaction, and the deal collapsed, representing a significant setback for McMullen's strategic vision for the company.

Executive Compensation

McMullen's compensation as Kroger's CEO drew public attention and, at times, criticism, particularly in the context of the gap between executive and worker pay at the company. In 2020, McMullen received a 21 percent pay increase, a figure that attracted scrutiny given the challenges facing grocery workers during the period.

In 2022, McMullen's total compensation was reported at approximately $19 million, while the median Kroger worker earned approximately $28,600, resulting in a substantial CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio. This pay disparity placed Kroger among the companies with the largest gaps between CEO and median worker compensation. A 2021 study identified Kroger as one of the top U.S. companies in terms of CEO wage gaps. A 2024 report by the Institute for Policy Studies also examined executive pay disparities in the grocery and retail sectors, with Kroger among the companies reviewed.

McMullen's total compensation over the years was tracked by industry analysts and proxy advisory firms, with his pay package encompassing base salary, bonuses, stock options, and other forms of equity compensation.

Resignation in 2025

On March 3, 2025, Kroger announced that McMullen had resigned from his positions as chairman and CEO, effective immediately. The company disclosed that an internal investigation had determined that McMullen's personal conduct was not consistent with Kroger's policies regarding its code of business ethics. The announcement marked an abrupt end to McMullen's more than decade-long tenure as the company's top executive and his career of more than thirty years at Kroger.

As part of the terms of his departure, McMullen forfeited all of his unvested equity and bonuses, a total valued at approximately $11 million. Ron Sargent, a member of Kroger's board of directors, was appointed as interim chairman and CEO while the company initiated a search for a permanent successor.

The specific nature of the ethical violation that prompted McMullen's resignation was not disclosed by Kroger at the time of the announcement, and the company provided limited additional details in the weeks and months that followed. The opacity surrounding the circumstances of his departure became a recurring point of interest in subsequent media coverage and legal proceedings.

Post-Resignation Legal Proceedings

The circumstances of McMullen's departure became entangled in a separate legal dispute between Kroger and Albertsons Companies. Albertsons had filed suit against Kroger in the aftermath of the collapsed merger, and as part of the litigation, Albertsons sought to compel McMullen to provide testimony and details regarding the reasons for his resignation, arguing that the information was relevant to the case.

In August 2025, a county judge in Ohio initially ordered McMullen to testify about the reasons for his resignation. However, later that same month, a judge reversed course and ruled that McMullen did not have to answer questions about his resignation, with court proceedings referencing the potentially "embarrassing" nature of the details involved.

In September 2025, courts further upheld McMullen's position. A judge sided with McMullen, ruling that the former CEO did not have to face deposition questioning about the circumstances of his resignation. Two courts ruled that McMullen did not have to reveal the reasoning behind his abrupt exit from the company. The legal proceedings drew significant media attention but ultimately did not result in the public disclosure of the specific conduct that precipitated McMullen's resignation.

Kroger's CEO Search

Following McMullen's departure, Kroger embarked on a search for a new permanent CEO. As of early 2026, the company had not yet named McMullen's permanent successor, with Ron Sargent continuing to serve in an interim capacity. Reports indicated that Kroger was looking outside the organization for its next leader, a departure from the company's traditional practice of promoting from within. The search was described as seeking a "dynamic, transformational" leader for the Fortune 50 company, which was navigating the aftermath of the failed Albertsons merger and the disruption caused by the sudden change in leadership.

Personal Life

McMullen is married to Kathryn King McMullen. The couple has resided in the Cincinnati, Ohio, metropolitan area, where Kroger's corporate headquarters are located. McMullen maintained a relatively low public profile outside of his corporate responsibilities during his time as CEO.

Beyond his corporate role, McMullen was involved in civic and business organizations in the Cincinnati area. As the CEO of one of the region's largest employers and most prominent corporations, he was a notable figure in the Cincinnati business community throughout his tenure.

Recognition

During his tenure as Kroger's CEO, McMullen was recognized as a prominent figure in the American retail and grocery industry. He was included in the Forbes list of notable business executives in connection with his role leading one of the largest companies in the United States. As the head of a Fortune 50 company with hundreds of thousands of employees and operations spanning dozens of states, McMullen was a frequently cited voice in discussions about the grocery industry, consumer trends, and the American retail economy.

His leadership of Kroger through a period of significant industry transformation—including the rapid growth of online grocery shopping, supply chain disruptions, and the attempted Albertsons merger—placed him at the center of several of the grocery sector's most consequential developments during the mid-2010s through the mid-2020s.

McMullen's recognition and public standing were significantly affected by the circumstances of his March 2025 departure. The abrupt nature of his resignation and the ethics investigation that preceded it reframed public discussion of his legacy at the company.

Legacy

McMullen's legacy at Kroger is shaped by the dual nature of his tenure: a long period of corporate leadership marked by strategic expansion and modernization, followed by a sudden and controversy-laden departure. Over more than a decade as CEO, he oversaw Kroger's efforts to adapt to a rapidly changing retail landscape, including significant investments in e-commerce, pickup and delivery services, and technology-driven supply chain improvements.

The failed merger with Albertsons represents a defining episode of McMullen's time as CEO. The proposed combination, which would have been the largest grocery merger in American history, was positioned by McMullen and Kroger's leadership as a necessary step to compete more effectively with non-traditional grocery competitors. The deal's collapse after prolonged regulatory opposition left the company without the transformational growth that McMullen had envisioned and contributed to a period of strategic uncertainty for the organization.

The circumstances of McMullen's resignation, and the subsequent legal proceedings in which he successfully resisted efforts to compel public disclosure of the underlying conduct, added a layer of controversy to his departure from the company. The forfeiture of approximately $11 million in unvested compensation underscored the seriousness with which Kroger's board treated the findings of its internal investigation.

Kroger's decision to look outside the company for its next permanent CEO, breaking with its long-standing tradition of internal promotion, was interpreted by some industry observers as a signal that the company's board sought a clean break from the McMullen era. As of early 2026, the search for McMullen's permanent successor remained ongoing, and the full assessment of his impact on the company continued to evolve.