King Soopers, City Market announce leadership moves

DENVER  — Regional grocery chains King Soopers and City Market announced a pair of leadership moves Wednesday, propelling Chris Albi to president, succeeding Joe Kelley, who was promoted to senior vice president of retail divisions for parent company Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR).

Both promotions will take effect May 1.

Albi has been group vice president for operations for King Soopers and City Market. A Colorado native, she joined King Soopers in 1981 as a courtesy clerk and has held numerous roles across Kroger in her tenure, including store leadership, grocery director, director of natural foods for Kroger, vice president for merchandising and vice president for operations for Kroger’s Michigan division, vice president for operations for Portland, Oregon-based Fred Meyer stores, and president of QFC in Seattle.

In her new role, Albi will oversee all aspects of the grocery retail business.

“Working alongside Chris over the past three years, I’ve seen firsthand her passion and

dedication. She is deeply connected to the division’s identity, strategy and associates,”

Kelley said in a prepared statement. “There’s no one better suited to lead the company in this new and exciting chapter, and I’m excited to see how she will continue to elevate the business and inspire our teams.”

Kelley had served as president since 2021. An industry veteran of 40 years, he has held a number of executive leadership roles across a variety of retailers, including Price Chopper, Stop and Shop, Star Market and Shaws Supermarkets. Kelley joined Kroger in 2019.

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