After dedicating 43 years to Hy-Vee, Randy Edeker, who started as a part-time courtesy clerk at the Chariton store in 1981 and worked his way up to become the CEO and chairman of the board of Iowa’s largest employer, will retire on July 31.
In 2009, the stockholders elected Edeker as the president of the company. Later in 2012, he was named as the chairman of the board and CEO. However, in 2022, Edeker decided to transition to the position of executive chairman of the board, from which he will be retiring.
Hy-Vee has appointed Jeremy Gosch as the new chairman of the board and CEO.
According to Tina Potthoff, Hy-Vee’s Senior Vice President of Communications, Edeker’s leadership brought about a remarkable transformation of the grocery chain. From a mid-sized regional grocer, it grew into a national retail brand with over 570 business units and a workforce of over 75,000. Under Edeker’s guidance, the revenue of the company surged to almost $14 billion.
According to Potthoff, Edeker led Hy-Vee through some of its most difficult times, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership, the company also ventured into new areas of business, such as e-commerce and retail media.
In an email statement, Potthoff acknowledged the significant contributions made by the individual in advancing the healthcare operations to unprecedented heights. He also highlighted the individual’s unwavering dedication in advocating for the pharmacy profession.
According to Potthoff, Edeker has not only excelled as the CEO of Hy-Vee but has also made remarkable contributions to the retail industry as a whole. He has chaired several boards, 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 been widely recognized, with numerous awards and honors to his name. These include the Sidney R. Rabb Award from FMI in 2019, a place on Mass Market Retailers’ list of Greatest Retailing Executives of All Time in 2020, the Legislative Champion Award from the Iowa Pharmacy Association in 2021, and both Chain Drug Review’s Lifetime Achievement Award and NACDS’s Sheldon W. Fantle Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.
Randy Edeker’s inspiring journey from being a courtesy clerk to becoming the top executive of Hy-Vee has come to an end after 43 years. This article was originally published on Des Moines Register and sheds light on the departure of this remarkable leader.
