Rich oversees all of the Scripps operating divisions and administrative functions, and serves as a director of the company. Prior his appointment to president and chief executive officer, he served as its executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Rich joined the corporate staff in 1988, just prior to the parent company’s initial public offering.

Before moving to Scripps headquarters, he was a business reporter and editor at The Cincinnati Post, a Scripps newspaper, where he spent four years covering Wall Street, the national economy, and developments in the media industry.

He began his media career as a part-time reporter for The Cincinnati Enquirer. He later graduated from college and joined a growing chain of community newspapers. He progressed through that company as the owner, Suburban Communications, purchased and consolidated a number of family-owned publications in the Midwest. It was there that Rich first developed a bipolar love of the business, with equal desire to excel on both the content and business sides of the media industry.

The E. W. Scripps Company was preparing for its coming out party on Wall Street when Rich joined the corporate staff in early 1988 as manager of investor relations, a brand-new function in the 110-year-old enterprise. Scripps went public that summer (at $16) and Rich was charged with building a base of public shareholders who would support the company's long-term mission and be good partners for the Scripps family.

Several years later, Rich became director of all of the company's communication efforts. In addition to investor relations and media relations, he took on responsibility for employee communications and the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He also joined the company's long-range strategic planning and development group, and in May 1995 became a vice president of the corporation.

In 1998, Rich co-founded the Scripps Leadership Institute, a bi-annual program that identifies and provides training for up-and-coming senior-level managers.

He was elected executive vice president in February 1999 and named to chief operating officer in April 2006.

Rich received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northern Kentucky University in 1981. In 1996, he received the university's annual Professional Achievement Award, and in 2001 was named the university's Outstanding Alumnus.

He and his wife, Lisa Graybeal Boehne, a former newspaper reporter and editor, live in Newport, Ky. They have two sons: Luke, a sophomore at Vanderbilt University in Nashville; and Jake, a high school junior.

Rich and Lisa were co-chairs of the alumni portion of Northern Kentucky University's first major capital campaign. Rich continues as chairman of the Northern Kentucky University Foundation’s major gifts committee.

He also serves on the board of Cincinnati’s Freestore Foodbank and chairs the board’s fundraising/development committee. He is a member of Cincinnati' Commonwealth Club and also serves on the board of Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.