Kristal Howard

Kristal Howard is the head of corporate communications and media relations for Kroger, where she serves as the company’s spokesperson. Kroger employs nearly half a million associates who serve America through food inspiration and uplift customers through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 grocery retail stores under more than a dozen banner names. Kroger also operates 38 U.S. food processing plants and 274 jewelry stores. Howard joined Kroger in February 2010 as the public relations manager for the Dallas and Houston divisions. Before joining Kroger, she worked at various full-service marketing and communications agencies managing public relations services for entertainment, lifestyle, hospitality, retail and nonprofit brands. Howard currently volunteers with the Network of Executive Women. She served as a youth mentor for six years with Big Brothers Big Sisters and career readiness and empowerment mentor for three years with Dress for Success. Howard was also featured as “One of the Top 25 PR millennials to Watch” by HuffPost, recognized as one of the nation’s “Top 30 under 30” PR professionals by PR News in 2013, included in Progressive Grocer Magazine’s Top Women in Grocery awards, and recently named one of 10 “Black Women to Know in PR, Tech & Digital Media” in Ebony Magazine.