Ronald L Sargent

The Cincinnati-based retailer appointed lead director Ronald Sargent as interim CEO after the abrupt resignation of Longtime Kroger chief executive Rodney McMullen in March 2025. McMullen resigned after an investigation determined that his personal conduct was “inconsistent” with the grocery chain’s ethics policies. Over the past decade, the interim boss has worked in stores, sales, marketing, manufacturing and strategy at Kroger. Sargent also spent about 27 years at Staples, where he was CEO from 2002 to 2016. He joined Kroger’s board as an independent director in 2006 and became lead director in 2017. Sargent was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Staples, Inc., where he had been employed since 1989. Prior to joining Staples, Mr. Sargent spent 10 years with Kroger in various positions. In addition to serving as a director of Staples, Mr. Sargent is a director of Mattel, Inc. He is a member of the Audit and Public Responsibilities Committees.