A former part-time Hy-Vee clerk will now help lead the employee-owned supermarket corporation as one of its CEOs.
Come Oct. 1, Jeremy Gosch will step into his new role as CEO and president of retail operations for West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee Inc., as well as chairman of the board of directors.
Hy-Vee Inc. runs more than 285 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of more than $13 billion annually, according to a news release.
Gosch began his Hy-Vee career in 1995 as a part-time clerk at the Lantern Park Plaza Hy-Vee in Coralville, Iowa, and spent the next 12 years moving into retail operations management roles, including that of store director at multiple locations.
In 2012, he joined Hy-Vee’s executive staff when he was promoted to assistant vice president of operations in the Northeast region. Over the next six years, he held several executive leadership roles, and in early 2018, he was promoted to executive vice president, co-chief operating officer, chief marketing officer and, later that year, chief operating officer. In April 2021, Gosch became president of retail operations and co-chief operating officer. He was promoted to his current position in December 2021.
Gosch, who earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Iowa, is only the fifth president in Hy-Vee’s 92-year history.
Hy-Vee Chairman and CEO Randy Edeker awarded the CEO position to Gosch, who will lead alongside Aaron Wiese, serving as CEO and president of Hy-Vee’s subsidiaries and supply chain, as well as vice chairman of Hy-Vee’s board of directors.
While Edeker has been CEO, the company almost doubled its sales from about $7 billion in 2012 to more than $13 billion in 2022, making it the 30th-largest food retailer in North America, according to the release.
“As I look ahead to the future, we’ve reached a point where one person can no longer hold the title of chairman, CEO and president for the entire company,” Edeker said in the release. “We have become more than just a grocer. With our focus on health and wellness, pharmacy, restaurants, grocery, distribution and digital assets, it’s time we evolved our leadership structure to best position the business for the future, which is why Jeremy will also serve as a CEO for the company.”
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This year alone, Hy-Vee has launched several new divisions and has gone national with its online retail platforms, such as WholeLotta Good, Hy-VeeDeals.com, PetShip and RedBox Rx. The company is also positioning itself for its largest footprint and growth expansion in the retailer’s more than 92-year history, which is why Hy-Vee has launched multiple national partnerships this fiscal year to improve the overall in-store customer experience and bring more value to its shoppers.
As CEO, Gosch will also lead the company’s supplier relationships and brick-and-mortar expansion efforts across Hy-Vee’s current eight-state region, as well as its future locations in the Southeast.
Related: Introducing Hy-Vee's WholeLotta Good e-commerce wellness site
“With Jeremy’s retail and in-store experience, he has incredible knowledge of our retail business and has a strong sense of urgency to meet the challenging times we live in today,” Edeker said in the release. “He has a great understanding of how we need to continue to evolve our company to grow, which will keep us on a path toward continued success as one of the best grocers in the U.S.”
Gosch and Wiese will continue to report to Edeker, who will continue to serve as Hy-Vee’s chairman of the board and executive director.