Kroger Taps Ken DeLuca to Lead Michigan Division

The Kroger Co. said it has named Ken DeLuca president of its Michigan division, effective Aug. 1.

DeLuca, currently VP of operations for Kroger’s Dillons division, succeeds Scott Hays, who was promoted to president of the Cincinnati/Dayton division earlier this month.

“In his 30 years with the company, Ken has shown not only an aptitude for running a grocery business, but also a passion for connecting with our customers and our associates and creating an uplifting shopping experience in our stores,” Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “He is ready to lead our Michigan division to continued success, as we work together to deliver on our Restock Kroger plan.”

DeLuca returns to the division where he began his Kroger career in 1988 as a store clerk. In 1990, after graduating from Wayne State University in Detroit, he began Kroger's management training program and went on to hold multiple leadership positions in the Michigan division, including store manager, grocery coordinator, category management, labor relations manager, human resources director and operations district manager.

In 2004, he moved to the Columbus division as operations district manager and in 2005, he was promoted to retail operations VP for the Dillons division. DeLuca was promoted to VP of merchandising in 2008 and then to VP of operations earlier this year. 

Related:Kroger Swaps Division Presidents as Bruce Lucia Retires