CINCINNATI — Kroger Co. has promoted Mark Tuffin to senior vice president of retail divisions.

He succeeds Michael Ellis, who became Kroger’s president and chief operating officer on January 1.

Tuffin, 53, had been president of the company’s Smith’s Food and Drug Stores division since 2011. He brings more than 32 years of grocery industry experience to his new role. He held various positions with other supermarket retailers before joining Smith’s in 1996.

At Smith’s he held several key leadership roles including vice president of merchandising. In 2009 he was named vice president of transition for Kroger. In this role he led the company’s efforts to implement significant organizational changes.

“Mark is an exceptional leader with an extensive knowledge of the grocery industry,” said Ellis. “He has made significant contributions to our company and industry, while always championing our Customer 1st strategy.

“We look forward to Mark’s leadership in this senior role as we continue to accelerate Kroger’s growth,” he said.