Two Food Giants Name New CPOs in July

Two major food companies announced new chief people officers in July, with Kroger selecting Emilee De Martino and Yum Brands promoting Nai De Leon. Kroger revealed on July 2 that De Martino will become executive vice president and chief people officer following the retirement of Tim Massa. She was previously senior vice president and CPO for the international operated markets division of McDonald’s. Greg Foran, Kroger’s CEO, stated that De Martino’s experience with large workforces and commitment to talent development makes her exceptionally well-suited for the transition.

Yum Brands also moved to fill a leadership vacancy in its human resources department. The company announced on July 22 that Nai De Leon will be promoted from chief talent and centers of excellence officer to chief people and culture officer in November. De Leon joined Yum in her current role in August 2025 and has focused on learning and development and people acquisition. As CPO, she will direct talent and leadership development, organizational effectiveness, people operations, and total rewards. De Leon succeeds Tracy Skeans, who is retiring. De Leon previously held roles at Bain Capital.

While the food sector deals with these transitions, Visier, a people analytics software company, brought in a former CEO to lead its HR function. Pramukh Jeyathilak has joined Visier as CPO, the company announced July 22. He most recently served as CEO and co-founder of TalentLign, an AI-enabled human capital consulting firm, and has helped shape people strategy at companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Accenture. Jeyathilak joins Visier at a time of growth, and the company noted his background will help build a People function that operates with the same quantitative discipline it champions for its customers. Meanwhile, CMS Energy appointed Polly Harris as VP of human resources for the Michigan-based energy provider in a July 1 announcement.

It is worth considering the broader implications of these specific executive shifts. As legacy executives retire, the incoming leaders often bring different philosophies regarding the integration of data and human capital. The move by Visier to hire a former CEO for its lead HR role suggests a strategic pivot toward treating internal operations with the same rigor as external sales targets. Similarly, the promotion of Nai De Leon to a broader CPO title at Yum Brands indicates an effort to consolidate disparate talent functions under a single executive, potentially streamlining decision-making during a period of corporate restructuring. While these changes are currently focused on individual leadership styles, they often serve as early indicators of how companies plan to manage their workforce through the next phase of economic volatility.