CHICAGO, Jan. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Home Chef, a
leading meal solutions brand, announced today that Erik Jensen, president of Home Chef, will be
promoted to Chief Executive Officer on February 1. Pat
Vihtelic, founder of Home Chef, will continue to serve on
the company's advisory board throughout 2022.
In 2013, Pat Vihtelic founded
Home Chef to simplify mealtime with easy-to-make, delicious
recipes. In 2018, the brand was acquired by Kroger, America's
largest grocery retailer, and Home Chef has expanded its footprint
into more than 2,200 Kroger Family of Stores nationwide. In
October 2021, the brand announced it
surpassed $1 billion in annual sales
as a result of its commitment to make mealtime easy and bring
people together over a meal.
"It's been an honor to create and grow Home Chef into the
business it is today," said Pat
Vihtelic. "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."
Jensen has been with Home Chef for six years, and his leadership
responsibilities have continually expanded during his tenure. In
2017, he assumed the role of Chief Product Officer where he played
a pivotal role in the growth of the retail business in Kroger
stores, and in 2021, he was elevated to president.
"Home Chef was built on a strong foundation, and under
Pat Vihtelic's leadership, the brand
has disrupted the meal solutions industry over the past decade,"
said Erik Jensen. "On behalf of
everyone at Home Chef, I thank Pat for his dedication and ingenuity
throughout the years, and I feel grateful for the trust he has in
me to take on this role. As we transition into Home Chef's next
chapter, I look forward to continuing to drive growth and
accelerate innovations in 2022 and beyond."
In his new role, Jensen will report to Dan De La Rosa, Kroger's group vice president of
fresh merchandising, and he will focus on strengthening plans to
ensure Home Chef continues on a high-growth trajectory.
"We are incredibly thankful to Pat
Vihtelic for his vision and partnership in growing Home Chef
into the $1 billion brand it is
today," said Dan De La Rosa. "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."
To learn more about Home Chef, visit www.homechef.com.
About Home Chef
Home Chef is the leading meal
solutions company with both a retail and online presence. Available
from www.homechef.com and in retail at more than 2,200 Kroger
grocery stores, Home Chef is committed to inspiring and enabling
more people to cook simple, delicious meals, no matter how busy
they are. Founded in 2013, Home Chef offers fresh, pre-portioned
ingredients and easy to follow recipes delivered weekly and is
designed for anyone to be able to cook and everyone to enjoy. The
Chicago-based company delivers
nationwide. For two years running, Home Chef has been rated #1 in
customer satisfaction among leading meal kit companies, according
to Market Force Information U.S. Grocery Benchmark Study. Home Chef
is a subsidiary of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR). Find out more
and get cooking at www.homechef.com. Follow us on
Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates and
inspiration.
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SOURCE Home Chef