Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, September 2025 – Veronica Nester has been appointed as the Head of Talent Management and Development at Kroger. In this new leadership role, she will oversee enterprise-wide strategies for talent, leadership, and succession planning. Nester will be responsible for designing executive development programs, career pathways, and performance initiatives to build a high-performing, future-ready workforce. She expressed excitement about taking on what she described as her “dream job,” with gratitude for the opportunity to help associates grow and contribute meaningfully to both the business and the communities Kroger serves.
Nester most recently served as Regional Director of Human Resources at Kroger for more than four years. In this capacity, she supported division HR teams while acting as a conduit between supermarket and corporate leadership to identify and eliminate service barriers, strengthen the company’s talent pipeline, and improve productivity and retention.
Prior to that, she worked as Manager of HR Development and Succession Planning, where she developed programs to onboard and strengthen HR talent across Kroger’s retail divisions. This role enabled her to build the foundation for scalable leadership development and succession processes.
Earlier, Nester spent over three years as a Human Resources Manager, overseeing benefits administration, talent development, and associate engagement within Kroger’s corporate merchandising line of business. Her efforts contributed to stronger associate experiences and the development of HR practices at the corporate level.
She also gained experience as a Corporate Talent Development Manager, managing Kroger’s District Manager Development Program and maintaining partnerships with corporate educational institutions, as well as serving for more than a decade as Regional Talent Development Manager, where she designed and delivered leadership development solutions to drive organizational accountability and performance.
About Kroger
Kroger (NYSE: KR) is one of the world’s largest grocery retailers, with nearly half a million associates across more than 2,800 stores in 35 states. Operating under two dozen grocery retail brands, along with 34 manufacturing plants and 44 distribution locations, Kroger serves more than 11 million customers daily. Guided by its purpose to Feed the Human Spirit™, Kroger delivers affordable, fresh, and easy-to-enjoy food for everyone through both physical stores and convenient e-commerce options.
Kroger is also recognized for its commitment to social impact, with signature initiatives such as Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, aimed at building communities free of hunger and waste by 2025. Its trusted family of brands, including Kroger®, Private Selection®, and Simple Truth®, reinforces its position as a leader in food innovation and customer value.
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