The Hershey Co. has named consumer brand veteran Mary Beth West as its new senior v.p. and chief growth officer.
West, who will join the Hershey, Pa.-based confectionery giant May 1, will oversee the company’s growth strategy, which includes insights and analytics; marketing excellence functions; innovation; research and development; mergers and acquisitions; and The Hershey Experience. She will report to President and CEO Michele Buck.
“Mary Beth will be a great addition to our executive team,” Buck says. “She is an accomplished business leader who is considered one of the best food executives and marketers in the industry. Her deep experience in growing some of the world’s best-known consumer brands and demonstrated ability to transform consumer engagement will be a tremendous asset to Hershey as we chart our growth agenda.”
West brings 30 years of executive and marketing leadership to the company, serving most recently as executive v.p. and chief customer and marketing officer at J.C. Penney Co., Inc. There she was responsible for revitalizing the JCPenney brand.