Adam Wampler, president of the Kroger Dallas division, died Wednesday at age 48.
Kroger reported Wampler’s passing on Thursday but declined to disclose his cause of death, noting that his family has requested privacy. Wampler, 48, had served as Kroger Dallas president for 15 months.
At this time, Kroger hasn’t determined interim leadership for the Dallas division, a spokesperson for the business unit said in an email. Overall, the Coppell, Texas-based Kroger Dallas division has more than 15,000 employees and operates 109 retail food stores.
“The entire Kroger family is saddened by the passing of Adam Wampler, president of the Dallas division. Our thoughts and prayers are with Adam’s wife, children, family and friends,” Rodney McMullen, chairman and CEO of The Kroger Company, said in a statement.
Wampler joined The Kroger Co. in September 2019, when he was hired as vice president of merchandising for the Fred Meyer division in Portland, Ore. He then was promoted to Kroger Dallas president and started in that role in March 2020.
Before coming to The Kroger Co., Wampler served as senior vice president of operations at Bartell Drugs in Seattle from January 2018 to September 2019 and held the same title at Albertsons Cos. in the Northern California division from February 2016 to January 2018. Prior to that, he spent more than 27 years at Safeway (now part of Albertsons Cos.), most recently as senior vice president of operations and vice president of merchandising and marketing.
“With more than 30 years in the retail industry, Adam had a successful career with Albertsons/Safeway and Bartell Drugs in Seattle before coming to Kroger,” McMullen stated. “We are grateful Adam chose to join Kroger. He was a skilled operator, merchant and leader in the retail industry, but more importantly he was a talented, selfless leader who had positive impact on our associates, customers and communities. Adam will be fondly remembered by all for his compassion for others and zest for life.”
