KROGER
“ R & D THRIVES IN AN
ENVIRONMENT WITH DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS , EXPERIENCES , EDUCATION ,
AND SPECIALTIES . WE
TELL OUR TEAM MEMBERS THAT THEY CAN COME TO KROGER AND GET
SOMETHING THEY WON ' T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE –
FREEDOM TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM ”
WESLEY RHODES VICE PRESIDENT OF TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFORMATION AND R & D , KROGER gurus interesting challenges , along with meaningful outcomes .
“ At Kroger Technology and Digital , we want people who are passionate and obsessed with making our designs the best ,” Rhodes says . “ We ’ re a people business , so we know that to draw out the ingenuity needed to innovate , our workforce is going to need a certain amount of personal and creative freedom .”
Kroger is uniquely positioned for associates to see the outcomes of their work in real time .
“ One of my favourite stories is of an associate whose family member struggled with a specific aspect of grocery shopping ,” says Rhodes . “ They brought the challenge to our labs team , and we were able to solve it – not just for that one family member , but for anyone across the U . S . who experienced the same struggle . That associate was so proud to bring their family to the store and show off their solution . It ’ s a small , but meaningful example of the opportunities our associates have every day .”
Rhodes and Whitacre have the unique position to be driving some of grocery retail ’ s next big innovations . Their strong collaboration ecosystem of universities and third-party companies bring the best minds to the table , and a commitment to diverse thinking uplifts every associate voice . It ’ s easy to see why the future is a bright one for Kroger Labs . kroger . com 19