CHICAGO — Erik Jensen, president of Home Chef, has been promoted to chief executive officer of the meal solutions brand. He succeeds Pat Vihtelic, founder and former CEO, who will continue to serve on the brand’s advisory board throughout 2022.

Vihtelic founded Home Chef in 2013 with an assortment of easy-to-make recipes. It was acquired by Kroger in 2018 and has since expanded its footprint into more than 2,200 stores nationwide. In October 2021, the brand announced it surpassed $1 billion in annual sales.

Jensen joined Home Chef in 2015 as director of culinary strategy. He was named chief product officer in 2017 and was promoted to president of the Chicago-based brand last year. As CEO of Home Chef, he will report to Dan De La Rosa, group vice president of fresh merchandising at Kroger, and will focus on strengthening plans to ensure the brand continues on a high-growth trajectory.

“We're excited to see Erik step into the CEO role and know that under his leadership, he will continue growing the brand and providing fresh, easy-to-make meals to our customers,” De La Rosa said.