Kroger, one of the largest grocery retailers in the U.S., has appointed Milen Mahadevan as Chief Data and AI Officer, a newly created role at the company. Mahadevan currently serves as President and CEO of Kroger’s data analytics subsidiary, 84.51°, and will continue overseeing the division along with Kroger’s data and AI platform and customer technology teams.

In the new role, Mahadevan will work with business leaders across Kroger to embed advanced AI capabilities into business processes, unifying the company’s data and AI teams under a single leadership structure.

Mahadevan has been with Kroger since its acquisition of dunnhumby USA in 2015. He was named President and CEO of 84.51° in 2020 after serving as Chief Operating Officer, where he oversaw day-to-day operations and guided the company’s strategic vision. Prior to that, he led client solutions and capabilities at 84.51° and headed the Service Line Organization for dunnhumby USA, focusing on scalable solutions in data management, analytics, and insights across markets and categories.