Rodney McMullen
William Rodney McMullen (born 1961) is an American businessman who has been the CEO of Kroger, the second-largest general retailer in the US, since January 1, 2014. Early life. McMullen was born in Pineville, Kentucky on his family-owned farm, and was the first of his family to receive a college education. He has a bachelor's and a master's degree in accounting, both from the University of Kentucky. Career. In 1978, McMullen began working part-time as a stock clerk in his local Kroger grocery store, while a university student. His work included price tagging  items, bagging groceries, receiving product, and running the register. In 1982, McMullen moved to Charlotte. From there, he became a financial analyst in the corporate headquarters. At the age of 34, McMullen became chief financial officer. McMullen was key in the merger with Fred Meyer, Inc. in 1999. In 2003, McMullen became vice chairman, and COO in 2009. McMullen became the CEO of Kroger on January 1, 2014, succeeding David Dillon. McMullen received $12m compensation in FY 2018, jumping by 21% to $20.1m for FY2019 due to "a boost in stock awards tied to performance incentives