EXECUTIVE CHANGES 1997-10-20

Kroger Taps Three Executives

here has announced three executive appointments.

Paul W. Heldman, vice president, secretary and general counsel, has been named senior vice president.

W. Rodney McMullen, group vice president and chief financial officer, has been appointed senior vice president.

All appointments are to new positions.

McMullen and Heldman continue to report to Joseph A. Pichler, chairman and chief executive officer.

Reuben M. Shaffer, director of human resources, has been named vice president of human resources. Shaffer reports to Heldman.

The company said Thomas E. Murphy, group vice president of human resources and labor relations, has announced his intention to retire in January 1998. Upon Murphy's retirement, Heldman will assume responsibility for the company's human resources and labor relations activities and will retain his duties as general counsel and secretary. Heldman joined Kroger in 1982 as a staff attorney from a law firm here.

McMullen joined Kroger as a part-time stock clerk. In 1982, he became a full-time accounting trainee. He was a financial analyst and assistant treasurer at Kroger before being named vice president of financial services in 1990. He added the responsibility for corporate control in 1993.

Shaffer joined Kroger in 1988 after working 18 years in a variety of sales, production and inventory-control positions for a number of firms in the Midwest and Washington, D.C., areas. He has been a store manager and co-manager, and has held several human resources positions in the company's Cincinnati-Dayton Marketing Area. He was named director of human resources in Kroger's general office earlier this year.

Murphy's retirement comes after 23 years with Kroger, including 11 in his current post.