CINCINNATI, Ohio – Oct. 14, 2021 – 84.51°, a retail data science, insights and media company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Kroger Co., has named Todd James chief data & technology officer. A driver of digital transformation, James will pave the way for the continued growth of 84.51°, building on its rich data, science, and technology capabilities. He will lead all technology functions and enterprise capabilities teams, including product & design, engineering, data science, science research and consumer research.

“Todd’s experience in the data science ecosystem and his outstanding track record make him the ideal candidate to take 84.51° and its wealth of capabilities to new heights. The company’s continued growth will benefit from his innovative leadership approach and commitment to strategic thinking. We’re excited to have him on board,” said Milen Mahadevan, president of 84.51°.

James brings 15 years of experience to his new post from Fidelity Investments where he held a variety of key strategic leadership roles. An innovative leader, he built the global data and analytics organization for Fidelity’s Workplace Investing and Health Care business units. He also led efforts to modernize servicing and operations through applied artificial intelligence, automation and directed Fidelity’s Cross-Enterprise AI Center of Excellence (COE). In this role, he had leadership responsibilities for a corporate shared service providing business intelligence, data science, artificial intelligence (AI), digital information solutions, analytical consulting, customer insights, and digital personalization to Fidelity's employees, B-to-C and B-to-B clients. He also held senior leadership roles in enterprise operations, business transformation, strategy and consulting, and performance solutions.

Prior to Fidelity, James led a strategy consulting practice at Deloitte, directing strategic engagements with global Fortune 500 and government clients. As a director at Resource Consultants, Inc. he built and led a technology services business unit while also overseeing corporate IT. Prior to his business career, James was an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard where he held leadership roles in IT, information security, and shipboard operations.

Aside from a B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, James also earned an MBA from The College of William and Mary, and a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Illinois. He is an editorial board member for CDO Magazine.

About 84.51°

84.51° is a retail data science, insights and media company helping The Kroger Company, consumer packaged goods companies, agencies, publishers and affiliated partners create more personalized and valuable experiences for shoppers across the path to purchase.

Powered by cutting edge science, we leverage 1st party retail data from nearly 1 of 2 US households and 2BN+ transactions to fuel a more customer-centric journey utilizing 84.51° Insights, 84.51° Loyalty Marketing and our retail media advertising solution, Kroger Precision Marketing.

Meet the rest of our senior leadership team.