The Calgary-based company says Kruger will assume the role and join Suncor's board of directors on April 3.
"I am very excited and energized about the opportunity to lead Suncor into the next chapter," Kruger stated in a news release on Tuesday. At least a dozen workers have died at the company's oilsands operations in northern Alberta since 2014. Suncor has been on the hunt for a new leader since the incidents prompted Little to leave the top job last summer.
"Rich is a highly capable and seasoned CEO with an impressive track record of leading a safety culture," Suncor's board chair Mike Wilson stated in the news release.