Supermarket chain giant Kroger has appointed ex-Walmart executive and former CEO of Air New Zealand Greg Foran as its new chief executive officer.
Foran’s appointment is effective immediately, the company said in a Feb. 9 statement. He also will join the company’s board of directors. Foran succeeds Ron Sargent, who has served as interim chief executive since March 2025.
The Cincinnati, Ohio-based grocer said the appointment followed what it described as an “extensive search process” aimed at identifying “an innovative retail leader with a strong track record of execution at scale.”
Foran most recently served as chief executive of Air New Zealand for five years, where he led the carrier through disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kroger said.
During his tenure at the airline, Foran led complex union negotiations, navigated multiple supply-chain crises, and invested in fleet upgrades, according to the company’s statement.
His leadership at Air New Zealand followed a six-year stint as president and chief executive of Walmart U.S., the largest division of Walmart.
Kroger said that Foran delivered positive comparable-sales growth for 20 consecutive quarters while at Walmart and managed more than 4,600 stores and one million associates until 2019. The company characterized his tenure as a turnaround of Walmart’s largest division.
“Greg is a highly respected operator who knows how to run large-scale retail businesses, strengthen store execution, and lead high-performing teams,” said Sargent. “His leadership style, focus on the customer, commitment to associates, and disciplined approach to execution are the perfect fit for Kroger. The board is confident Greg is the right leader to guide Kroger into its next chapter.”
Financial Performance, Guidance
The leadership announcement comes as Kroger has reaffirmed its fiscal 2025 guidance.In its third-quarter earnings release on Dec. 4, 2025, the company reported total sales of $33.9 billion, compared with $33.6 billion a year earlier.
Excluding fuel and Kroger Specialty Pharmacy, sales rose 2.6 percent from the same period last year. Gross margin was 22.8 percent of sales in the third quarter, compared with 22.4 percent a year earlier.
Kroger attributed the improvement primarily to the sale of Kroger Specialty Pharmacy, performance of its private brands, lower supply-chain costs, and lower shrink, partially offset by pharmacy sales mix and price investments.
On Dec. 4, 2025, Kroger said it now expects 2025 sales, excluding fuel, to rise 2.8–3.0 percent, slightly tightening its earlier forecast.
It kept its operating profit outlook at $4.8–4.9 billion, and now expects earnings per share of $4.75–4.80.
The company also reaffirmed expectations for free cash flow of $2.8–3.0 billion, capital expenditures of $3.6–3.8 billion, and a tax rate of 22 percent.
In comments accompanying the Dec. 4 earnings release, Sargent said the company had delivered “another quarter of strong results reflecting meaningful progress on our strategic priorities.”
He said the company expects its e-commerce business to be profitable in 2026.
