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Sonya Hostetler joins Kroger to head Nashville division

Walmart veteran to succeed retiring president Zane Day

Russell Redman

July 30, 2019

2 Min Read
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The Kroger Co. has named Walmart vice president Sonya Hostetler as president of the Nashville division.

Kroger said Tuesday that Hostetler takes the reins as Nashville president on Aug. 1. She succeeds Zane Day, who is retiring after almost 45 years at the company.

Most recently, Hostetler was vice president and regional general manager at Walmart, working out of Dallas. In the role, she oversaw 13 markets, 122 stores and 45,000 associates in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Sonya Hostetler_Kroger Nashville division.jpgHer career at Walmart spanned 30 years. Hostetler started at the company in 1989 as an hourly associate and in several years worked her way up through the manager ranks to the senior director level, serving in loss prevention, health and wellness human resources, and store operations personnel roles. In 2011, she became a vice president and regional general manager based in Bentonville, Ark., overseeing the retailer’s flagship region. She later served as corporate vice president of asset protection and safety.

"We're pleased to welcome Sonya to the Kroger family of companies," Mike Donnelly, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Cincinnati-based Kroger, said in a statement. "Sonya is a well-respected leader in the retail industry who's innovative and strategic. She will help us to continue to redefine the grocery customer experience and develop talent, accelerating our Restock Kroger vision in the Nashville market."

Related:Kroger names new division presidents

Kroger's Nashville division encompasses 91 stores across middle and eastern Tennessee, northern Alabama and southern Kentucky.

Day has served as Kroger Nashville president since February 2016. He began his retail grocery career at Smith's Food & Drug on the night crew in Ogden, Utah, in 1974. He went on to serve in various leadership roles, including store manager and director of merchandising.

In 1998, Day was named director of procurement at Fred Meyer's Tolleson distribution center. Then in 2000, Day became director of deli for the Fry's division, before shifting to a similar role in the Smith's division in 2003. At Smith's, Mr. Day was promoted to district manager and vice president of merchandising before becoming vice president of operations in 2015.

Hostetler’s hiring comes after a flurry of recent divisional appointments at Kroger.

In May, the supermarket giant announced Dana Zurcher as president of the Columbus division and hired Tom Schwilke as president of the Dallas division. Zurcher succeeded Dan De La Rosa, who the previous month was named president of King Soopers. Also in April, Kroger tabbed then-King Soopers President Dennis Gibson to become president of Fred Meyer, a post vacated by Joe Grieshaber after he was appointed as the company’s senior vice president of merchandising. Joe Kelley, vice president on special assignment, also was named Houston division president, taking over from the retiring Marlene Stewart.

Related:Kroger retools senior management for ‘Restock’ strategy

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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