UW Graduate Named to Key Executive Roles for SUPERVALU

Aug. 29, 2006 -- Kevin Tripp, a Cody native and 1978 University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy graduate, recently was named executive vice president and president, Retail Midwest for SUPERVALU.

Tripp oversees the retail operations of Cub Foods, Hornbacher's, Jewel-Osco, and Shop 'n Save, as well as companywide SUPERVALU pharmacy operations. He joined SUPERVALU through the 2006 acquisition of Albertsons, where he served as executive vice president, drug operations and president of the drug store division. He was also a member of Albertsons executive council that directed food and drug operations in 37 states.

He began his pharmacy career after signing up for an on-campus interview with a representative for Osco Drug.

"I went to put my name on the sign-up sheet, and the sign-up sheet was full. So I drew a line at 5:30 p.m. and put my name in the space. I didn't know if I would get an interview but showed up anyway -- the interviewer was just interested enough to meet the person who extended his day," Tripp says.

He was hired and spent nine years in Casper and Cheyenne and "ran a pretty significant food and drug store operation. Osco hired half of its management trainees as pharmacists so we could work double duty. We learned aspects of the business as well as being introduced to both food and retail operations."

As his career grew, he held positions in grocery and drug store operations, pharmacy operations, managed care, pharmacy operations and marketing, and regional management. He served as vice president of advertising and sales, vice president of pharmacy operations and marketing, and senior vice president of pharmacy sales and operations of the American Stores Company. He was executive vice president and general manager of the American Stores drug store division when it merged with Albertsons in 1999.

From 1999 through the 2006 SUPERVALU acquisition, Tripp served as executive vice president, drug operations and president of the drug store division, where he was responsible for 701 drug stores under the Osco and Sav-on brand names.

Photo

Kevin Tripp, a Cody native and 1978 University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy graduate, recently was named executive vice president and president, Retail Midwest for SUPERVALU. (Photo Courtesy Kevin Tripp)

Posted on Tuesday, August 29, 2006