HERSHEY, PA — Effective July 8, The Hershey Co., parent company to food brands including Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels and LesserEvil Snacks, will have a new US leader as Heather Hoytink steps into the role of president.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Heather to Hershey,” said Kirk Tanner, Hershey president and CEO. “She’s an outstanding leader with deep customer relationships, the operating discipline to execute at scale and a track record of growth that will accelerate our US business.”
The experienced CPG vet joins Hershey following an extensive career with PepsiCo, where she most recently served as senior VP and chief commercial officer of its US Away From Home Beverages division.
“Her experience leading some of the largest, most complex customer and commercial organizations in the industry makes her exceptionally well-suited to lead our team into the next generation of growth,” Tanner said.
In this role, Hoytink will have end-to-end accountability for the company’s US commercial business. This includes the advancement of the ONE Hershey model announced in Q1, which consolidated operations across the company’s portfolios and created a global brand marketing arm.
“I’m excited to join Hershey at such a dynamic moment for the business,” Hoytink said. “Hershey’s iconic brands, strong customer partnerships and talented team create an incredible foundation for growth. I’m energized by building winning teams, investing in people and working closely with customers to unlock new opportunities. I look forward to partnering with the team to build on existing momentum, continue delivering for customers and consumers, and drive the next chapter of growth together.”
Hoytink’s appointment comes less than a month after Mitchell Arends was announced as incoming chief supply chain officer. It also falls in line with the succession plan for Michele Buck, who announced her intention to retire from her role as president, CEO and board chair January 2025. The announcement noted that effective June 30, 2026, Buck would serve in her existing roles until her successor was appointed, at which point she would resign from the board and transition to a senior advisor role until her official retirement.
