The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) said Tuesday that Tim Massa, Executive Vice President and Chief Associate Experience Officer, will retire on September 18, closing a 16-year run at the Cincinnati-based grocery chain and more than three decades of human-resources leadership across two major consumer companies.
Massa joined Kroger in 2010 after a 21-year career at The Procter & Gamble Company, where he built his HR foundation before moving into the retail food sector. He entered Kroger as Vice President of Talent Development and ascended through at least five progressively senior roles — including Group Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations and Chief People Officer — before being elevated to Executive Vice President and Chief Associate Experience Officer, the title he holds at departure.
The transition comes as the broader supermarket sector continues to navigate elevated labor costs and intensifying competition for hourly and salaried workers from discounters, warehouse clubs, and fast-growing e-commerce operators. Kroger, which employs roughly 420,000 associates across its banner portfolio, has invested heavily in associate wages and benefits in recent years, a strategic pillar Massa helped architect.
Kroger has not yet named a successor for the role. Investors and analysts are likely to watch for any structural changes to the Chief Associate Experience Officer position — whether the company folds responsibilities back into a traditional Chief People Officer function or elevates an internal candidate — as workforce strategy remains a key cost lever for the $150-billion-revenue grocer. Any leadership update is expected ahead of Massa's September 18 effective retirement date.
The announcement is consistent with a broader pattern across large food retailers of multiyear HR tenures ending as the industry recalibrates workforce models following post-pandemic labor market shifts. For additional context on executive movement across the food and beverage sector, see our coverage of retail leadership transitions and the evolving workforce strategies shaping food retail.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.