2024 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit

Jessica oversees Kroger’s reputation management portfolio and serves as a member of the Kroger Senior Officer Executive Team. Her responsibilities include external communications and brand public relations, financial and investor relations communications, environmental sustainability and social responsibility, media, government and regulatory affairs, crisis management, cause marketing and corporate philanthropy, community relations and associate communications and engagement. She also has the privilege of serving as the President of The Kroger Co. Foundation. A native Washingtonian, Jessica graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College as a Russian Area Studies major and lived in the former Soviet Union for several years in the 1990s. She earned an MBA from the Wharton School and a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania. She has an executive certificate in International Trade Issues from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She has spent her career in the food and agriculture industry, starting in Russia with Monsanto and then with Cargill, where she worked on biotechnology and nutrition issues that impact the food value chain.

Most recently, she served as senior vice president for Corporate Affairs at Syngenta North America and ran their Washington, D.C. office. Jessica holds numerous leadership positions within the food and agriculture industry and was named to agriculture’s “40 Under 40,” PR News’ “Top Women in PR,” a “Top Women in Grocery” executive category winner plus “Women of Influence” in the Food Industry. She is also a member of the International Women’s Forum D.C. Chapter and the Cincinnati Women’s Executive Forum. She serves on the board of directors for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Food Marketing Institute Foundation and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Jessica is also on the Nationwide Board Advisory Council.

She is proud to support her husband, Doug, on the board for the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, which they frequent with their three young children.