The Hershey Company Names Heather Hoytink President, US

Rhea-AI Summary

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) appointed Heather Hoytink as President, U.S., effective July 8, 2026. She brings over 20 years of sales, operations and commercial leadership experience, most recently as SVP and Chief Commercial Officer, U.S. Away From Home Beverages at PepsiCo.

Hoytink will oversee Hershey's entire U.S. commercial business and advance a unified ONE Hershey model across confection, salty and protein snacks and emerging channels.

Positive

• Experienced commercial leader appointed President, U.S. effective July 8, 2026
• More than 20 years of sales and operations experience in consumer brands
• Led sustained topline growth and margin expansion in prior division role
• End-to-end accountability established for Hershey's U.S. commercial business
• Focus on unified ONE Hershey commercial model across full snacking portfolio

Negative

• None.

News Market Reaction – HSY

+2.10%

+2.10% Session close to close

In the Jun 24 session, HSY gained 2.10%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

This announcement installs a leader with 20-plus years commercial experience over HSY’s U.S. portfol...

Analysis

This announcement installs a leader with 20-plus years commercial experience over HSY’s U.S. portfolio. Recent news has sometimes coincided with weak trading, while insider activity skews to net selling. Investors may watch execution across away-from-home and omnichannel channels.

Key Figures

Industry experience: more than 20 years Effective date: July 8, 2026

2 metrics

Industry experience more than 20 years Sales, operations and commercial leadership experience for Heather Hoytink

Effective date July 8, 2026 Heather Hoytink named President, U.S., role start date

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jun 18 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	24h Move	Catalyst
Jun 18	Product launch	Neutral	-2.1%	Launch of ONE x Reese's layered protein bar with Amazon availability.
Jun 01	Marketing campaign	Neutral	-3.9%	Summer-long Hershey's Heated Debate s'mores marketing and social campaign.
May 28	Executive appointment	Neutral	-1.5%	Appointment of a new Chief Supply Chain Officer succeeding long-tenured leader.
May 11	Brand collaboration	Neutral	+1.8%	Expanded Hershey's Kisses collaboration with Pokémon and related limited products.
May 08	Conference appearance	Neutral	-0.6%	CFO participation in Goldman Sachs Global Staples Forum fireside chat.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Pattern Detected

Recent general news items have more often been followed by negative price reactions than positive ones.

Key Terms

commercialization agenda, omnichannel, executive education

3 terms

commercialization agenda technical

"led the North America beverage and commercialization agenda across the Away From Home channel"

A commercialization agenda is a company’s plan and timeline for turning a product or service into regular sales, covering steps like manufacturing, regulatory approvals, pricing, distribution and marketing. Investors use it like a project roadmap: it signals when revenue and profits might begin, highlights key milestones and risks (for example approvals or supply bottlenecks), and helps judge the likely speed, cost and chance of market success.

omnichannel technical

"while driving growth across away-from-home, omnichannel, digital and other emerging channels"

A coordinated approach to selling and serving customers across all touchpoints—stores, websites, mobile apps, social media, and call centers—so the experience feels like one continuous conversation no matter where a customer interacts. For investors, omnichannel capability signals how well a company can attract and keep customers, turn interactions into sales, and use shared customer data to cut costs and boost revenue—making it a key driver of growth and competitive strength.

executive education technical

"has completed executive education programs at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and Harvard Business School"

Executive education are short, non-degree training programs designed to update the skills and judgment of senior managers and leaders, similar to an advanced workshop or bootcamp for executives. For investors, these programs matter because they can improve a company's strategic decision-making, operational performance and leadership bench strength, and they also represent a revenue source for institutions that run them—both of which can influence future profitability and risk.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Seasoned Commercial Leader Brings More Than 20 Years of Sales and Operations Experience to the Role

HERSHEY, Pa., June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) today announced that Heather Hoytink has been named President, U.S., effective July 8, 2026. Hoytink brings more than 20 years of sales, operations and commercial leadership experience, most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, U.S. Away From Home Beverages at PepsiCo.

In that role, Hoytink led the North America beverage and commercialization agenda across the Away From Home channel, partnering closely with the industry's largest national customers to drive growth and shape how millions of consumers experience the company's iconic brands. Prior to that, as President of the South Division, she led a large, diverse region through a period of sustained topline growth and meaningful margin expansion, earning a reputation as a transformational commercial leader known for unlocking growth through strong customer partnerships, disciplined execution and high-performing teams.

"We're thrilled to welcome Heather to Hershey. She's an outstanding people leader with deep customer relationships, the operating discipline to execute at scale and a track record of growth that will accelerate our U.S. business," said Kirk Tanner, President and CEO, The Hershey Company. "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."  

As President, U.S., Hoytink will have end-to-end accountability for Hershey's U.S. commercial business, leading execution across the company's full snacking portfolio of confection, salty and protein. She will advance a ONE Hershey commercial model, bringing a unified approach that delivers greater value to retail partners and consumers alike, while driving growth across away-from-home, omnichannel, digital and other emerging channels.

"I'm excited to join Hershey at such a dynamic moment for the business. Hershey's iconic brands, strong customer partnerships and talented team create an incredible foundation for growth," said Hoytink. "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 holds a degree in marketing and communications from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and has completed executive education programs at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and Harvard Business School.

About The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company is an industry-leading snacks company with a purpose to make more moments of goodness and a vision to lead next generation snacking. Hershey brings together more than 20,000 employees worldwide to deliver delicious, high-quality products across more than 85 brands in approximately 65 countries, generating more than $11.7 billion in annual revenues.

Hershey brings its full portfolio to market as ONE Hershey, spanning confection, salty and functional snacking categories with beloved brands like Hershey's, Reese's, Kisses, KIT KAT®, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers and Ice Breakers; salty snacks including SkinnyPop, LesserEvil, Pirate's Booty and Dot's Homestyle Pretzels; and a protein portfolio including ONE Brands and Fulfil.

For more than 130 years, Hershey has operated fairly, ethically and sustainably. Founder Milton Hershey established Milton Hershey School in 1909, and that legacy of purpose endures today through the company's commitment to helping children succeed through equitable access to education.

To learn more visit www.thehersheycompany.com.

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View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-hershey-company-names-heather-hoytink-president-us-302808369.html

SOURCE The Hershey Company

FAQ

What leadership change did Hershey (NYSE: HSY) announce on June 24, 2026?

Hershey announced that Heather Hoytink will become President, U.S., effective July 8, 2026. According to the company, she will oversee its U.S. commercial business across confection, salty and protein snacks and multiple sales channels.

Who is Heather Hoytink, the new President, U.S. at Hershey (HSY)?

Heather Hoytink is a commercial leader with over 20 years of sales and operations experience. According to the company, she most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, U.S. Away From Home Beverages at PepsiCo.

What responsibilities will Heather Hoytink have as Hershey U.S. President?

As President, U.S., Hoytink will have end-to-end accountability for Hershey's U.S. commercial business. According to the company, she will lead execution across its full snacking portfolio and drive growth in away-from-home, omnichannel, digital and emerging channels.

When does Heather Hoytink start as President, U.S. at Hershey (HSY)?

Heather Hoytink’s appointment as President, U.S. becomes effective July 8, 2026. According to the company, she will then assume responsibility for leading Hershey’s U.S. commercial operations and advancing its unified ONE Hershey commercial model.

What experience does Heather Hoytink bring to her new role at Hershey?

Hoytink brings more than 20 years of sales, operations and commercial leadership experience. According to the company, she previously led PepsiCo’s South Division through a period of sustained topline growth and margin expansion and managed major North American beverage customers.

How will Heather Hoytink’s appointment impact Hershey’s U.S. snack portfolio?

Hoytink will lead execution across Hershey’s confection, salty and protein snack portfolio in the U.S. According to the company, she will advance a unified commercial approach designed to deliver value to retail partners and consumers across traditional and emerging channels.