David B. Dillon is CEO of Kroger. Prior to leading the company, he spent 27 years in various other positions, learning the ropes. He is the great-grandson of the company’s founder, J.S. Dillon, who began Kroger as a self-service grocery store in Sterling, Kansas. His sons, including David’s grandfather, continued developing the company into a chain of stores. Dillon Stores became a public entity when Paul (David’s father) and two of his cousins, took over the leadership. In 1982, Dillon Stores was brought out by Kroger and finally – a fourth generation of the family – David Dillon became its CEO.