William Rodney McMullen (born 1961) is an American businessman who was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Kroger, the third-largest general retailer in the United States, from January 1, 2014, until early 2025. In March 2025, McMullen resigned abruptly after an investigation found his personal conduct did not align with Kroger's business ethics.
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.
In 2025, McMullen resigned as CEO after a board investigation found that his personal conduct was inconsistent with the grocer's "policy on business ethics."
McMullen is a non-executive director of Cincinnati Financial.
Compensation
McMullen received $12 million in compensation in fiscal year 2018, jumping by 21 percent to $20.1 million for F.Y. 2019 due to "a boost in stock awards tied to performance incentives."
In 2020, his salary plus bonuses plus various stock options totaled $20,578,119.
In 2021, McMullen's salary was listed at $1.34 million, while the median employee salary at Kroger that year was a bit more than $24,000. This indicates McMullen makes 5,348 percent of the median salary, which is one of the largest wage gaps in America. His total compensation for 2021 was $18 million.
In 2022, McMullen's total compensation rose $1 million to $19 million, with the ratio of McMullen's pay to that of the median Kroger worker for that year standing at 671-to-1.
In 2023, McMullen's total compensation from Kroger was $15.7 million, or 502 times what the median employee at Kroger earned that same year.
Personal life
He is married to Kathryn King McMullen, whom he met when they were both students at the University of Kentucky.
References
