Home Chef Gets a New CEO
There’s a new leader at the head of the table at Home Chef. The meal solutions company has promoted Erik Jensen to CEO, a role that he will begin on Feb. 1.
Jensen moves up from his current role as president of the company, as founder Pat Vihtelic vacates the CEO role but will continue to serve on the Home Chef advisory board. “It's been an honor to create and grow Home Chef into the business it is today. I'm extremely proud of the brand and our exceptional employees, and I'm confident Erik Jensen will excel in leading the Home Chef team over its next phase,” said Vihtelic, who launched Home Chef in 2013 and was at the helm when the company was acquired by The Kroger Co. in 2018.
Jensen ascends to the top role following a string of strong performances at Home Chef. After joining the company six years ago, he took on the role of chief product officer in 2017, where he helped spur growth in Kroger’s retail business, and was named president on 2021. As CEO, Jensen will report to Dan De La Rosa, group VP of fresh merchandising at Kroger.
Added De La Rosa: "We are incredibly thankful to Pat Vihtelic for his vision and partnership in growing Home Chef into the $1 billion brand it is today. Our customers continue to tell us that they enjoy cooking at home, and with Home Chef's expanded selection online and availability in our more than 2,200 Kroger stores nationwide, the meal solutions brand is making it easy for anyone to prepare chef-worthy meals. We're excited to see Erik step into the CEO role and know that under his leadership, he will continue growing the brand and providing fresh, easy-to-make meals to our customers."
Cincinnati-based Kroger is No. 3 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
