Who is Rodney McMullen, former Kroger CEO, KY native who resigned after investigation?
The former Kroger CEO who stepped down from his leadership position is a Kentucky native who began his Kroger career in Lexington.
Rodney McMullen resigned as Kroger’s CEO and Chairman Monday after an investigation into his personal conduct, according to the Cincinnati-based grocery store giant.
Kroger said in a news release McMullen’s conduct was “inconsistent” with Kroger’s policy on business ethics, but that his resignation was not related to the company’s “financial performance, operations or reporting,” and it did not involve other Kroger employees.
No other details about the findings of the investigation were available as of Tuesday morning.
McMullen is 64 and has an estimated net worth of at least $22.7 million, according to Forbes. He is a Pineville native and began his Kroger career in 1978 as a part-time stock clerk in Lexington, according to his biography on Kroger’s website.
McMullen worked at the Eastland Shopping Center Kroger while attending the University of Kentucky.
Before attending UK, McMullen graduated from Grant County High School in Northern Kentucky in 1978. McMullen originally aspired to be a lawyer, but he stayed with Kroger after a supervisor encouraged him to stay after seeing his potential, according to biography information published by Grant County schools.
After earning bachelor’s degrees in accounting in 1981 and a master’s degree in accounting in 1982 from UK, McMullen was hired full time by Kroger in 1982. He moved up the corporate ladder and held many leadership positions, including assistant treasurer, vice president of Planning and Capital Management, chief financial officer, senior vice president, president and chief operating officer.
McMullen was elected to Kroger’s board of directors in 2003, and he was named the company’s CEO in 2014. A year later, he was named chairman of the board of directors.
McMullen was inducted into the UK Gatton Alumni Hall of Fame in 2005. Roughly 10 years later he was named into the school’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni.
McMullen also serves on the UK Gatton College of Business & Economics Dean’s Advisory Council and the Xavier University Board of Trustees.
This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 10:45 AM.
