The Hershey Company has announced two leadership appointments. Andrew Archambault has been named president, U.S. confection, and Veronica Villasenor has been named president, salty snacks. Both appointments are effective February 3.

Archambault, who joins Hershey from Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), and Villasenor, who is a Hershey veteran of 22 years, will be part of Hershey's executive committee and will work closely with the team to continue advancing the company's priorities and play key company-wide leadership roles. Villasenor succeeds Kristen Riggs, who is leaving Hershey after 20 years to pursue other opportunities.

"Andrew is a proven executive who has transformed complex consumer brand portfolios through his deep commercial expertise and customer-centric approach," says Michele Buck, The Hershey Company president and CEO. "I am very excited to pair this announcement with an internal promotion, welcoming Vero as our new president of salty snacks. Vero's extensive experience across the Hershey business will be key to the continued success of our Salty business. I am confident that Andrew and Vero are the right leaders to advance our leading snacking powerhouse vision and deliver on our next phase of growth. I also want to thank Kristen for her many valuable contributions during her long tenure at Hershey, including her leadership integrating Dot's and Pretzel's, Inc. and setting up the commercial foundation to scale our Salty Snacks business. I wish her the very best in all her future endeavors."

Archambault will oversee a portfolio of iconic brands including Hershey's, Reese's, and Jolly Rancher. He brings a wealth of experience from KDP where he was instrumental in evolving well-known brands, including Dr Pepper, Canada Dry, Core Water, and Motts, to deliver results at scale. Most recently, as president, U.S. refreshment beverages, Archambault rapidly grew the business and positioned KDP for the long-term through strategic acquisitions and partnerships. He previously served as chief customer officer at KDP and held leadership roles across corporate, customer and sales teams at The Nature's Bounty, Co., Bacardi USA, and The Coca-Cola Company.

"It is an honor to join Hershey during a period of strategic transformation," says Archambault. "I, like so many others, am inspired by this iconic company and its beloved brands and look forward to working with the incredible Hershey team to build for the future as we take this business to the next level of growth."

Villasenor's proven track record at Hershey will help drive salty snacks' growth ambitions. She previously served as VP of salty snacks and reportedly brings a unique perspective from her roles in management, marketing, and innovation from across Hershey's three business units: salty snacks, confection, and international. Her passion for delivering innovative solutions that serve consumers and customers, coupled with her relentless pursuit of excellence, has driven remarkable results throughout her career, Hershey says.

"I am honored to step into this new role and continue building our portfolio and capabilities to deliver accelerated growth with our salty snacks team," says Villasenor. "Throughout my career at Hershey, I have been deeply committed to delivering for our customers, delighting our consumers and developing our people. I'm excited to continue this journey."

The Hershey Company is on the current Candy Industry “Global Top 100 Candy Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Global Top 100” rankings.