CHICAGO — Circana, an advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior, named Stuart Aitken president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Aitken will succeed Kirk Perry, who is retiring but will remain a member of the board.
“As part of the company’s succession planning process, Kirk and the rest of the Circana board have been focused on identifying the ideal candidate to lead Circana well into the future, and we are confident we have found that in Stuart,” said Tod Johnson, chair of the Circana board. “His passionate leadership, strategic and innovative mindset, and extensive experience across the retail, technology, and data/analytics industries will create value for our company, our people and the clients we serve globally.”
Previously, Aitken served as chief merchant and marketing officer for Kroger where he helped transform the company with a strong focus on people and culture, data and insights, and shopper transformation. He also developed a customer-centric approach to merchandising and marketing to drive high-margin digital revenue streams.