HERSHEY, PA — The Hershey Company, owner of Dot’s Pretzels, announced that Michele Buck, president, CEO and chair of the board of directors, informed the board of her intention to retire from the company.
Effective June 30, 2026, Buck will serve in her existing roles until her successor is appointed, at which point she will resign from the board and transition to a senior advisor role until her official retirement.
“It has been the pinnacle of my career to lead Hershey, a truly one-of-a-kind company,” Buck said. “Our team has created one of the strongest and most recognizable snacking portfolios in the industry and I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished. I am a firm believer that our long-term success is rooted in Hershey culture — the spirit of innovation has kept us at the forefront of new and changing trends to best serve our customers and consumers, made us a stronger partner for our communities and contributed to significant value creation for our shareholders. This year will be my 20th at Hershey and as we embark on a new year, I believe now is the right time to formally activate our succession planning and begin the transition to Hershey’s next leader.”
The board has appointed a special committee to lead the search for the company’s next CEO and will consider internal and external candidates in partnership with a nationally recognized search firm.
“The board is grateful for Michele’s vision and transformational leadership, not only over the past eight years as our CEO but for the past two decades,” said Victor Crawford, lead independent director of the board. “Michele has made innumerable marks on Hershey, including serving as the key architect of the company’s expansion into broader snacking categories, driving sustainable international growth and building advanced capabilities and growth platforms to evolve Hershey into a stronger and more diversified business. Succession planning is a matter the board and Michele have been discussing and with Michele’s continued guidance and leadership, we are confident we will execute a seamless transition.”
The Hershey Co. reaffirms its previously announced full-year 2024 financial outlook and intends to release its 2025 outlook in connection with its regularly scheduled earnings report in February.
