Hershey names former PepsiCo exec as president, U.S.
Heather Hoytink brings 20+ years of sales and operations experience to the role.
The Hershey Company, maker of candies and salty snacks, announced that Heather Hoytink has been named president, U.S., effective July 8. Hoytink brings more than 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.
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 reportedly shape how millions of consumers experience the company's 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 commercial leader known for unlocking growth through strong customer partnerships, disciplined execution, and high-performing teams, Hershey says.
"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," says 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, aiming to bring 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," says 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.
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.
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