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WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Hy-Vee chairman and chief executive officer Randy Edeker has tapped Aaron Wiese to succeed him as CEO, effective October 1. Wiese is currently the company’s vice chairman and president of its supply chain and subsidiaries. Jeremy Gosch will remain Hy-Vee’s president and chief operating officer, responsible for all of the company’s retail operations.
Wiese and Gosch will continue to report to Edeker, who will continue to serve as chairman of the board.
“Both Aaron and Jeremy have been trusted leaders of our executive team for many years, and I am thankful for the leadership they continue to provide our great company,” Edeker said. “With this announcement, I can continue to focus on Hy-Vee’s strategy and evolution in today’s changing environment, while Jeremy can focus on overseeing our stores and Aaron can focus on the day-to-day operations of the overall company.”
Aaron Wiese started his Hy-Vee career in 1993 while in college. After graduating, he served in various operations leadership roles. In 2012, Wiese joined Hy-Vee’s executive staff as director of real estate strategic planning, and in 2013 he became director of health/wellness strategic planning. In 2014, he was promoted to assistant vice president of specialty pharmacy, and then vice president of business development at Amber Specialty Pharmacy. Over the next six years, Wiese was instrumental in leading multiple facets of Hy-Vee’s health and wellness division, as well as serving as president of Hy-Vee subsidiary Amber Specialty Pharmacy for several years. He was promoted to the executive vice president level in December 2020, and became president of digital growth and co-chief operating officer in April 2021. He was promoted to his current position in December 2021.
“Aaron is ready to help me lead the company as chief executive officer,” Edeker said. “He has a strong vision for the total breadth of our company and is extremely knowledgeable in many areas. With Aaron as CEO, Hy-Vee continues to be positioned for incredible growth and innovation.”
Jeremy Gosch began his Hy-Vee career as a part-time clerk at the Lantern Park Plaza Hy-Vee in Coralville, Iowa, in 1995, 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 for 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-COO and chief marketing officer, and later that year he transitioned into COO. In April 2021, Gosch became president of retail operations and co-COO. He was promoted to his current position in December 2021.
Gosch is only the fifth president in Hy-Vee’s 92-year history.
“Jeremy has incredible knowledge of our retail business and has a strong sense of urgency to meet the challenging times we live in today,” said Edeker. “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.”
Edeker has been Hy-Vee’s CEO and chairman since June 2012, when he succeeded Ric Jurgens in those roles. Edeker, whose Hy-Vee career spans more than 40 years, was only the fourth executive to hold those titles since the grocery chain was founded in 1930.
