This voice is automatically generated. Please let us know if you have any feedback.
Diving overview:
- name hershey Andrew Archambault becomes president of US Confection and Veronica Villasenor becomes president of Salty Snacks. Their appointments will be effective from February 3rd.
- Archambault joins Hershey from Keurig Dr. Pepper, and Villasenor has been with the Reese’s maker for 22 years. Villasenor replaces Kristen Riggs, who is leaving Hershey after 20 years to pursue other opportunities.
- The two executive changes come days after Hershey CEO Michelle Bach, who took the top job in 2017, said she plans to step down next year.
Dive Insight:
The past few months have been busy for Hershey’s executive ranks. Hershey said in December that Michael Del Pozzo would quit overseeing the company’s U.S. confectionery business after just three months and return to PepsiCo.
Now, the confectionery maker is turning its attention once again to beverages as a leader in confectionery.
Archamault operates a portfolio of iconic brands including Kisses, Reese’s and Jolly Rancher. Hershey said he most recently served as chief customer officer at Keurig Dr. Pepper, where he “rapidly grew the business through strategic acquisitions and partnerships and positioned KDP for the long term.”
Archambault, who has held leadership roles at Bacardi USA and Coca-Cola, has a deep connection to beverages, but his insight into shoppers’ buying habits and changing consumer tastes will prove invaluable at Hershey. It should be proven.
“Andrew is an executive with a proven track record of transforming a portfolio of complex consumer brands through deep commercial expertise and a customer-centric approach,” Buck said in a statement. “With this combination of announcements and internal promotions, we are thrilled to welcome Bello as the new president of Salty Snacks.”
The company noted that Villaseñor has a “proven track record” at Hershey that will help drive growth goals in salty snacks. She previously served as Vice President of Salty Snacks, which includes brands such as SkinnyPop, Pirate’s Booty, and Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels.
Hershey added that Villasenor brings a unique perspective from his roles in management, marketing and innovation across Hershey’s three business units: Salty Snacks, Confectionery and International. Having worked for Hershey for more than 20 years, few companies are as familiar with the company’s strategy in salty snacks as Villasenol.
In addition to the leadership changes, Hershey has also been grappling with external challenges weighing on the business. in their new roles. Archambault and Villasenor will soon face headwinds that show no signs of slowing down.
The storied snack maker has been hit by soaring cocoa prices and growing demand for its popular GLP-1 weight loss drug. Slower spending from inflation-weary shoppers and consumers’ shift to snacks other than chocolate are also having an impact. Last November, Hershey lowers net sales growth forecast This comes as a series of price increases reduced demand for the company’s sweet and salty products.
Mr. Hershey said last week that the board had appointed a special committee to find the next CEO and would consider external and internal candidates. Buck will not leave his post until mid-2026, so Archambault and Villaseñor has plenty of time to establish himself in each business and could be considered to become Hershey’s next CEO.
