US grocery store operator Kroger has appointed George Vincent as its next general counsel, replacing Christine Wheatley who is retiring at the start of September.
Vincent joins from Cincinnati law firm Dinsmore & Shohl, where he was a partner, having led the firm as managing partner between 2007 and 2022. At Kroger, he will brings his decades of experience counselling national and international businesses on strategic growth and legal matters. He will take up his new role overseeing the company’s legal and compliance function on 4 August.
Cincinnati-based Kroger is the largest supermarket operator by revenue in the US, operating more than 2,700 stores under a variety of brand names, including Baker’s, City Market, Dillons and Metro Market.
Ron Sargent, chairman and CEO of Kroger, said: “George is a widely respected attorney and a trusted advisor to a wide range of companies and boards of directors. He has decades of experience helping businesses grow and managing complex regulatory environments.”
Vincent originally joined Dinsmore in 1982, becoming managing partner in 2007 and elected for a fifth term in 2020, spearheading many of the firm’s strategic efforts during that time.
Wheatley, meanwhile, is retiring after 17-and-a-half years with Kroger, more than a decade of them as GC. She originally joined the business in 2008 from Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, where she was a partner. She started her legal career at Frost Brown Todd.
Sargent added: “We want to thank Christine for her many years of dedicated service. Christine has been a passionate advocate for our associates and provided outstanding guidance for our leadership team throughout the years.”
Wheatley’s departure follows a challenging legal period for the supermarket operator, which last December saw a judge block its $25bn proposed merger with grocery chain rival Albertsons, scuppering the deal. The Federal Trade Commission argued that the merger would lead to higher prices for shoppers.
Kroger and Albertsons are currently suing each other in Delaware over the terminated deal, according to Reuters.
In other grocery-related moves, earlier this month America’s largest online Asian supermarket Weee! appointed Devang Shah as GC from Pivot Bio. And in August last year, US retail chain and grocery discounter Target hired Amy Tu as its chief legal and compliance officer from food processing giant Tyson Foods.
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