Instacart Appoints Chris Rogers New CEO
Instacart has named a successor to outgoing CEO Fidji Simo. The grocery tech company tapped current Chief Business Officer Chris Rogers, a leader with extensive experience in the retail, CPG, tech and advertising sectors, to take the helm in mid-August.
Rogers will leverage his 20-year background in scaling businesses to drive further growth at Instacart. He has proved instrumental in Instacart’s expansion since joining the company in 2019, overseeing several acquisitions and turning Simo’s vision and ambition into action through the buildout of ad programs, the rapid expansion of Instacart’s retail partner network and the rollout of new tech capabilities.
Before joining Instacart nearly six years ago, the newly named CEO spent 11 years at Apple, where he was managing director for Apple Canada, and before that, he steered Apple’s Carrier Channel business and the consumer retail business in Canada. He began his career at Procter & Gamble, where he led relationships with Canada's largest national grocery retailers.
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A source at Instacart told Progressive Grocer that the choice of Rogers signals that the company is committed to its stakeholder partners. “Industry leaders, including CEOs across grocery retailers and CPG brands, don’t just know Chris, they see him as one of their own,” the insider said. “They think of him as a native retail operator that gets what it takes to modernize the industry.”
Simo, who revealed earlier this month that she’s leaving Instacart to take on the CEO of Applications role at OpenAI, said that she and other board members understood that Rogers has helped shape the business and brings a wealth of operational experience and industry relationships to the crucial role.
“Because everything we do is in partnership with our retail and brand partners, there isn’t a single thing we’ve done in the last few years that Chris hasn’t had his fingerprints on,” Simo wrote in a letter to Instacart team members. “From our retail enablement strategy and omnichannel expansion to the massive growth and evolution of our advertising platform, Chris has been a driving force behind all of these initiatives.”
She continued: “He always does the right thing even when no one is looking, making sure we do what’s in the best interest of our partners, customers, shoppers and teams at every turn. That’s the hallmark of great CEOs. Plus, he is beloved by everyone who works with him, and he deeply understands the opportunity we have to invent the future of grocery, together with our partners.”
Rogers, who succeeds Simo on Aug. 15 when she transitions to a role as chair of the Instacart board, said that he is looking forward to pursuing that opportunity to guide the industry’s future: “Instacart sits at the center of how people shop, eat and care for their families — and that’s always been what inspires me most about our mission. Together with our partners, we’re transforming the future of grocery shopping, but more importantly, we’re helping people solve real, everyday needs. We have a world-class team, deep partnerships, leading technology and a bold vision for the future, and I’m honored to step in and lead Instacart’s next chapter."
He also thanked Simo for her impactful leadership. “Under Fidji’s leadership, Instacart transformed from an essential service into the leading grocery technology platform in North America — one that partners deeply with retailers and brands, serves millions of families, and is pushing the industry forward through innovation across AI, retail media and in-store technology,” he onted. “It’s rare to step into a role shaped by such a clear long-term vision and a relentless focus on execution, and I’m honored to continue the work she set in motion.”
As Rogers takes the reins in Instacart’s c-suite, he will also join the board of directors to which he reports. Until his new position is official, he will continue to oversee all aspects of the company’s commercial operations, including retailer relationships and expansions, ad sales and R&D, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, Instacart Business, and Instacart Health.
Rogers is also a board member at Spins, a Chicago-based insights firm for the natural, organic and specialty products industry, and at the nonprofit Ad Council. He earned a bachelor of business administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, in Canada.
A grocery technology company based in San Francisco, Instacart works with more than 1,800 national, regional and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from 100,000-plus stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Maplebear Inc. is the registered corporate name of Instacart.
