Karl Niemann

In his role as Vice President of Associate Operations, Karl is dedicated to improving the Associate Experience and spearheading strategic people initiatives. He oversees HR Systems Strategy & Administration, AI Implementation and Adoption for Associate Experience, HR Operations and Governance, People Analytics, along with which encompasses Human Capital Metrics reporting, Associate Insights, People Data Science, Core HR Data, HR Planning, Project Management, and Process Improvement.

Karl started his Kroger career in 1987 as a clerk in the Cincinnati/Dayton Division and entered store management training in 1992. He has since held a variety of leadership roles in both operations and merchandising at the division and corporate levels, such as store management, purchasing manager, category manager, and operations coordinator. In 2010, he led prepaid/gift card services for Kroger Personal Finance and, by 2012, became Director of Strategy Integration. He was named Vice President of Freshness & Standards in 2016, and in 2018, served as Vice President of Our Promise, overseeing the integration and communication of Kroger’s Customer 1st Promise. He assumed his current position in 2020.