Simpactful Expands Fresh Merchandising Expertise with Former Kroger Executive, Dan De La Rosa
Simpactful is delighted to welcome Dan De La Rosa as its newest Senior Consultant. A seasoned retail executive with more than four decades of leadership in the Grocery industry, Dan brings unparalleled knowledge of fresh merchandising strategy, innovation, and operational excellence to the Simpactful team.
Dan served as Corporate Group Vice President of Fresh Merchandising at The Kroger Co. through March of 2025 – where he oversaw an impressive $40 billion in annual sales across produce, bakery, prepared foods, meat, seafood, floral, and multicultural categories. His leadership was instrumental in forging key partnerships with brands such as Murray’s Cheese, Home Chef, and Starbucks, while also spearheading Kroger’s Multicultural Merchandising Strategy to broaden customer relevance and engagement. Before his tenure as Group VP – Dan held pivotal roles as President of King Soopers & City Market, and President of Kroger’s Columbus Division – driving market share growth and innovation in highly competitive markets.
His industry influence extends well beyond Kroger. Dan currently serves on the Advisory Board of Gotham Greens and previously advised Home Chef, in addition to previous board services with the Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC) and the Fresh Produce & Floral Council. Dan is equally recognized for his commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). As a member of Kroger’s Senior Executive DE&I Advisory Board, he helped advance strategies that elevated representation and inclusion throughout the enterprise.
Outside of work, Dan splits his time between Littleton, Colorado and La Quinta, California, embracing the best of both the mountains and the desert. A Southern California native, he now primarily calls Colorado home, where he lives with his wife, Denise, and their labradoodle, Jill. He’s grateful to be close to their daughter, Alexis, who leads a nonprofit student accelerator in Denver. Dan is also a passionate home cook and foodie, always on the lookout for bold, new flavors and the next great restaurant. When he’s not in the kitchen or outdoors, Dan loves to travel abroad and looks forward to spending more time doing so with Denise. He is an avid supporter of the American Heart Association and The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital at The Ohio State University – causes that are deeply important to his family.
Dan is excited to begin this next chapter of his career with Simpactful. “I’m excited to join Simpactful’s network of industry leaders who are shaping the future of CPG and retail through experience-driven, actionable strategies. Having spent my career driving innovation and growth across Fresh categories, I’m passionate about helping clients identify where to play and how to win – turning insights into results that create real value for suppliers and manufacturers & drive growth for retail partners. Simpactful’s proven, connected approach aligns perfectly with my belief that purposeful impact starts with practical, shopper-centered execution.”
Simpactful’s leadership is thrilled to welcome Dan De La Rosa to our team of more than 85 seasoned practitioners from both sides of the desk – former retail, CPG, and consulting executives – all dedicated to solving simply and making an impact. With more than 40 years of experience in grocery retail, Dan brings an unparalleled blend of strategic vision, operational excellence, and deep category expertise. Over his career, he has led merchandising and growth strategies at the executive level, shaping how fresh categories such as produce, prepared foods, bakery, meat, seafood, and dairy connect with shoppers and drive business performance. For our CPG clients, Dan’s perspective is especially valuable. His firsthand knowledge of retailer priorities and decision-making enables brands to align more effectively with retail partners, accelerate innovation, and achieve stronger results at the shelf.
Simpactful Senior Partner, and former Kroger Merchandising Executive, Jill McIntosh, shares: “Dan’s proven leadership in fresh merchandising – and his ability to translate retail strategies into growth opportunities – make him a tremendous resource for our clients. His insights – forged from decades at the executive level – will help consumer product and retail partners elevate category performance, accelerate innovation, and unlock sustainable growth in today’s competitive grocery landscape.”
Ready to Transform Your Business? Simpactful can help!
Discover how Dan and the rest of our Simpactful team can drive your business forward. Contact us at contact@simpactful.com or 925-234-6394. Visit www.simpactful.com to learn more.
His industry influence extends well beyond Kroger. Dan currently serves on the Advisory Board of Gotham Greens and previously advised Home Chef, in addition to previous board services with the Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC) and the Fresh Produce & Floral Council. Dan is equally recognized for his commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). As a member of Kroger’s Senior Executive DE&I Advisory Board, he helped advance strategies that elevated representation and inclusion throughout the enterprise.
Outside of work, Dan splits his time between Littleton, Colorado and La Quinta, California, embracing the best of both the mountains and the desert. A Southern California native, he now primarily calls Colorado home, where he lives with his wife, Denise, and their labradoodle, Jill. He’s grateful to be close to their daughter, Alexis, who leads a nonprofit student accelerator in Denver. Dan is also a passionate home cook and foodie, always on the lookout for bold, new flavors and the next great restaurant. When he’s not in the kitchen or outdoors, Dan loves to travel abroad and looks forward to spending more time doing so with Denise. He is an avid supporter of the American Heart Association and The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital at The Ohio State University – causes that are deeply important to his family.
Dan is excited to begin this next chapter of his career with Simpactful. “I’m excited to join Simpactful’s network of industry leaders who are shaping the future of CPG and retail through experience-driven, actionable strategies. Having spent my career driving innovation and growth across Fresh categories, I’m passionate about helping clients identify where to play and how to win – turning insights into results that create real value for suppliers and manufacturers & drive growth for retail partners. Simpactful’s proven, connected approach aligns perfectly with my belief that purposeful impact starts with practical, shopper-centered execution.”
Simpactful’s leadership is thrilled to welcome Dan De La Rosa to our team of more than 85 seasoned practitioners from both sides of the desk – former retail, CPG, and consulting executives – all dedicated to solving simply and making an impact. With more than 40 years of experience in grocery retail, Dan brings an unparalleled blend of strategic vision, operational excellence, and deep category expertise. Over his career, he has led merchandising and growth strategies at the executive level, shaping how fresh categories such as produce, prepared foods, bakery, meat, seafood, and dairy connect with shoppers and drive business performance. For our CPG clients, Dan’s perspective is especially valuable. His firsthand knowledge of retailer priorities and decision-making enables brands to align more effectively with retail partners, accelerate innovation, and achieve stronger results at the shelf
Simpactful Senior Partner, and former Kroger Merchandising Executive, Jill McIntosh, shares: “Dan’s proven leadership in fresh merchandising – and his ability to translate retail strategies into growth opportunities – make him a tremendous resource for our clients. His insights – forged from decades at the executive level – will help consumer product and retail partners elevate category performance, accelerate innovation, and unlock sustainable growth in today’s competitive grocery landscape.”
Ready to Transform Your Business? Simpactful can help!
Discover how Dan and the rest of our Simpactful team can drive your business forward. Contact us at contact@simpactful.com or 925-234-6394. Visit www.simpactful.com to learn more.
