After dedicating 43 years to Hy-Vee, Randy Edeker, who started as a part-time courtesy clerk in the Chariton store in 1981, will retire from his post as CEO and chairman of the board of Iowa’s largest employer on July 31st.
In 2009, the stockholders elected Edeker as the president of the company. After three years, in 2012, he was named the chairman of the board and CEO. However, in 2022, Edeker decided to transition to the position of executive chairman of the board, which he will be retiring from.
Hy-Vee has appointed Jeremy Gosch as its new Chairman of the Board and CEO.
According to Hy-Vee Senior Vice President of Communications Tina Potthoff, under Edeker’s leadership, the grocery chain underwent a significant transformation, growing from a mid-sized regional grocer to a national retail brand worth almost $14 billion. With over 570 retail business units and a workforce of more than 75,000 employees, Edeker’s impact on Hy-Vee’s expansion has been remarkable.
According to Potthoff, Edeker successfully navigated Hy-Vee through some of its toughest times, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he led the company to venture into new areas of business like e-commerce and retail media, marking a significant expansion for the operation.
Potthoff praised his efforts in elevating the healthcare operations to unprecedented levels and commended his unwavering support for the pharmacy profession. “Additionally,” he said in an email statement, “he served as a tireless advocate for the pharmacy profession.”
According to Potthoff, Edeker’s leadership extends beyond Hy-Vee. In fact, he has chaired multiple boards in the retail industry, including the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), FMI – the Food Industry Association, and Topco Associates.
Potthoff reports that Edeker’s contributions to the industry have earned him numerous accolades, including the Sidney R. Rabb Award from FMI in 2019, recognition as one of Mass Market Retailers’ Greatest Retailing Executives of All Time in 2020, the Legislative Champion Award from the Iowa Pharmacy Association in 2021, and both the Chain Drug Review’s Lifetime Achievement Award and NACDS’s Sheldon W. Fantle Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.