As group vice president of corporate affairs for The Kroger Co., Keith serves as chief communications, advocacy, sustainability and social impact. His responsibilities include public policy, advocacy and government relations; external communications and brand public relations, financial communications, media relations, issues and crisis management, and executive communications; associate communications and engagement; corporate story and Kroger Studios – Kroger’s visual and digital storytelling team; environmental sustainability and social responsibility, including Kroger’s bold impact plan Zero Hunger | Zero Waste; corporate philanthropy and community relations, including oversight of The Kroger Co. Foundation and The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, a public charity.
Keith joined Kroger in 2011 after a decade of work on political campaigns and serving as director of communications in the Ohio Governor’s Office. He served five years as Kroger’s chief spokesperson and director of corporate communications, where he led the company’s national media relations, financial communications, executive communications, and issues and crisis management. In 2016, he was promoted to senior director of external affairs after he established the company’s license to operate practice area and assumed responsibility for government relations & advocacy. He was promoted to senior director of corporate affairs in 2017, after also assuming responsibility for associate communications and engagement. Keith was promoted to vice president in 2018, and to his current position in 2019.
Keith serves on the boards of the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, Cincinnati Regional Business Committee, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, and FMI – The Food Industry Association Foundation. Education He earned a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Politics & Government from Ohio Wesleyan University.