Rodney and his wife, Kathryn McMullen, live in a $1.5 million four-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The grocery chain Kroger revealed on Monday, March 3, 2025, that its chief executive, Rodney McMullen, 64, had resigned after a board investigation of his conduct.
Highlights
- Rodney McMullen resigned as CEO after a board investigation found his conduct inconsistent with the grocer’s “policy on business ethics.”
- McMullen married Kathryn King, whom he met at the University of Kentucky. They do not have any children yet.
- Kathryn was born to her father, William “Bill” King, and her mother, Kathryn “Nancy” King.
In a news release, Kroger said that Mr. McMullen’s conduct was not related to the company’s financial performance or operations but was “inconsistent” with the company’s business ethics policy.
Kroger said its board learned about Rodney’s misconduct on February 21, 2025, and immediately sought outside counsel to lead an investigation.
The company appointed Ronald Sargent, its lead director, as interim chief executive while searching for a replacement.
According to a government filing, Rodney had to forfeit $11.2 million in unvested stock and options.
Rodney had worked at Kroger for more than four decades. In 1978, he started as a part-time stock clerk in Lexington, Ky., was elected to its board of directors in 2003, and was named chief executive in 2014. He was named chairman in 2015.
In addition, McMullen is a non-executive director of Cincinnati Financial.
He received $12 million in compensation in fiscal year 2018, jumping 21 percent to $20.1 million for FY 2019 due to a boost in stock awards tied to performance incentives.
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.
Rodney McMullen Met His Wife Kathryn King McMullen At The University of Kentucky
American businessman Rodney McMullen met Kathryn King McMullen when they were both students at the University of Kentucky.
After dating for several years, the couple exchanged their vows. However, their exact date of marriage has not been revealed yet.
Rodney and Kathy live in Cincinnati, Ohio, in their $1.5 million four-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion.
Kathy has been tight-lipped regarding Rodney’s resignation following a board investigation of his conduct.
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As per the source, the couple does not have any children.
Kathryn was born to her mother, Kathryn “Nancy” King, and William “Bill” King. She grew up along with her sisters, Barbara Ottman and Paula Sherman.
Barbara is married to Robert Ottman, and Paul is married to Ken Sherman.
Sadly, Kathryn’s mother, who was born to the later John and Ethel Donnelly in Buffalo, New York, on September 20, 1925, passed away at her home on Tuesday, December 3, 2013, at 88.
She was an avid bridge player in traditional and duplicate styles and enjoyed crossword puzzles and reading. She was also a member of St. Edwad Catholic Church.
Visitation was held on December 6, 2013, at Ratterman and Sons, 10600 Taylorsville Road, Jeffersontown. A Mass of Christian Burial in celebration of her life was held Saturday at St. Edward Catholic Church.
Additional Information
- Rodney McMullen was born to his father, William McMullen, and his mother, Henrietta McMullen, both blue-collar factory workers. He was the first to receive a college education and has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in accounting, both from the University of Kentucky.
- In 2021, McMullen’s salary was $1.34 million, while Kroger’s median employee salary that year was more than $24,000. That indicated McMullen makes 5,348 percent of the median salary, one of America’s most significant wage gaps.
- Rodney serves on the Xavier University board of trustees and the dean’s advisory council for the UK Gatton College of Business and Economics.
