Kroger names Fred Morganthall senior vice president of retail divisions

The Kroger Co., Cincinnati, said it named Fred Morganthall, currently president of Mathews, N.C.-based Harris Teeter, senior vice president of Kroger's retail divisions. Rod Antolock, currently Harris Teeter’s executive vice president, will replace Morganthall as president of Kroger's Harris Teeter banner.

Morganthall has been president of Harris Teeter since 1997, and he brings more than 37 years of grocery industry experience to his new role. He began his career in grocery retail in 1978 at Spartan Stores in Grand Rapids, Mich. Morganthall joined Harris Teeter in 1986 as director of grocery merchandising and went on to serve in several key leadership roles, including vice president of merchandising, vice president of distribution and vice president of operations, before assuming the role of president. He has also been an active leader in industry organizations such as the Food Marketing Institute, Kroger stated.

“Fred is an exceptional leader who is respected throughout the industry,” said Mike Ellis, Kroger's president and chief operating officer. “We continue to learn a lot from Fred about building even stronger connections with our customers. We are delighted that he is taking on this broader role at Kroger.”

Antolock began his retail career in 1978 with Albertsons, where he held a number of leadership roles before joining Harris Teeter in 2000, the retailer said. He served in several executive positions, including senior vice president of operations and senior vice president of operations and merchandising. He has been in his current role since 2012.

“Rod’s leadership has contributed to Harris Teeter’s success for more than 15 years,” Ellis said. “He has been instrumental in developing Harris Teeter’s exceptional customer service and product quality. We look forward to his continued leadership in his new role.”