Kroger promotes multicultural merchandising champion to senior director of diversity

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Tuesday announced that Angel Colón has been promoted to senior director of diversity. He has been serving as the company's director of multicultural development for merchandising since 2008.



Colón succeeds Rueben Shaffer, who retired at the end of March, as Kroger's head of diversity and also assumes the responsibilities for the company's strong supplier diversity program.



"Angel has been on the leading edge of Kroger's multicultural merchandising initiatives, as well as our internal resource groups supporting and promoting the needs of our diverse workforce, for nearly a decade," stated Tim Massa, Kroger's group VP human resources and labor relations. "We look forward to his continued leadership in his new role, where he will be responsible for Kroger's diversity efforts while also continuing to shape and influence our multicultural efforts."



Colón has held a variety of leadership roles in the grocery industry for 27 years, including product management, direct store delivery merchandising, category management, promotions, sales leadership, broker management, regional marketing, customer marketing and ethnic marketing. He joined Kroger in 2008 in his current role, where he established the company's Multicultural Department and strategic direction. Colón was also a founding member of the KEPASA Associate Resource Group at Kroger's general office, which is an affinity group that empowers, supports and advocates for Hispanic and Latino associates.



Colón earned an MBA and lives in Cincinnati with his wife. They have three children.