Mr. Sargent has served as Chairman of the Board since March 2025 and also served as Interim Chief Executive Officer from March 2025 to February 2026. Mr. Sargent has been a Kroger director since 2006 and served as the Lead Director from June 2018 to March 2025. He was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Staples, Inc., a business products retailer, from 2002 until his retirement as Chief Executive Officer in 2016 and as Chairman in 2017, after joining the company in 1989. Prior to joining Staples, Mr. Sargent spent 10 years with Kroger in several roles across stores, sales, marketing, manufacturing and strategy. Mr. Sargent also serves on the Boards of Wells Fargo & Company and Five Below, Inc.
Mr. Sargent has extensive retail experience, first with Kroger and then with increasing levels of responsibility and leadership at Staples, Inc. His efforts helped carve out a new market niche for the international retailer. In his role as Chair of the Wells Fargo Human Resources Committee, he oversees human capital management, human capital risk, culture and ethics. In his role as a member of the Five Below Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, he oversees social and environmental governance, including corporate citizenship. He also serves as the Chair of the Five Below Talent and Compensation Committee. These committee experiences are of value to the Board, as is his understanding of retail operations, consumer insights, and e-commerce. Mr. Sargent’s strong insights into corporate governance and his executive leadership experience are also of value to the Board.