Industry veteran Lori Raya has joined Kroger and will serve as president of the nation’s largest supermarket chain’s Mid-Atlantic division, based in Glen Allen, VA. Raya succeeds Paula Ginnett who has been promoted to group VP-retail operations at Kroger’s corporate headquarters in Cincinnati., OH.
Ginnett originally came to Kroger from Walmart in 2019 to head up the company’s Mid-Atlantic unit which was then based in Roanoke, VA. Raya will oversee more than 100 Kroger and Kroger Marketplace stores in five Mid-Atlantic states. The division employs more than 18,000 associates.
Raya has nearly 35 years of experience in the grocery industry. She began her career in the stores at Safeway’s Denver division in 1987 and remained with the company until 2015, rising through the ranks to ultimately become president of the chain’s Vons division in Southern California, the first woman to ever lead that banner. When Albertson acquired Safeway in 2015, Raya remained with the new parent company until 2018 where she led the post-merger transition which included the integration of multiple banner teams (Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions) in the Southern California division.
Raya most recently served as chief merchandising and marketing officer for SpartanNash, the Grand Rapids, MI-based wholesale grocery distributor and retailer.
“Raya is a respected leader within the grocery industry and her perspective will be a valued addition to the Mid-Atlantic division. Not only is she a people-first leader, Raya also has a track record of driving sales and profitability,” said Valerie Jabbar, senior VP with Kroger. “We are so grateful for the leadership that Paula has shown over the past two years, and we are pleased to know that we’ll continue to benefit from her experience as she transitions to a new role with the company.”
“I’m thrilled to be the new president of Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic division, and I can’t wait to work with the talented and passionate team of associates that proudly serves our customers,” said Raya. “One of the things that drew me to Kroger was its focus on supporting communities, and I am looking forward to getting involved and making a difference in Richmond and the other communities Kroger serves throughout our Mid-Atlantic division.”
Raya and her husband Sam will relocate to the Richmond region.