Hershey appoints Heather Hoytink as President, U.S.
The Hershey Company has named Heather Hoytink as President, U.S., effective July 8, 2026. She brings over 20 years of experience from PepsiCo, where she led commercial and beverage operations. Hoytink will oversee the U.S. commercial business and advance the ONE Hershey commercial model.
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The Hershey Company has appointed Heather Hoytink as President, U.S., effective July 8, 2026. Hoytink will assume end-to-end accountability for the company's U.S. commercial business, leading execution across its full snacking portfolio of confection, salty, and protein categories. The appointment aims to accelerate growth in the U.S. market through a unified commercial model.
Hoytink joins The Hershey Company with more than 20 years of experience in sales, operations, and commercial leadership. She most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, U.S. Away From Home Beverages at PepsiCo. In that capacity, she led the North America beverage and commercialization agenda across the Away From Home channel, partnering with large national customers to drive growth. Previously, as President of the South Division, she led a region through sustained topline growth and margin expansion.
Strategic Focus
As President, U.S., Hoytink will advance the ONE Hershey commercial model. This strategy focuses on delivering greater value to retail partners and consumers by integrating operations across away-from-home, omnichannel, digital, and emerging channels. The company expects her experience in leading complex customer organizations to strengthen its market position.
Leadership Perspective
Kirk Tanner, President and CEO of The Hershey Company, highlighted the strategic value of the appointment. "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 Tanner. He noted that her background makes her well-suited to lead the team into the next generation of growth.
Hoytink expressed enthusiasm for her new role. "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," she stated. She emphasized her focus on building winning teams and investing in people to unlock new opportunities.
Executive Background
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Most Recent Role | Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, U.S. Away From Home Beverages, PepsiCo |
| Previous Role | President, South Division, PepsiCo |
| Education | Marketing and Communications, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire |
| Executive Education | Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Harvard Business School |
The Hershey Company generates more than $11.7 billion in annual revenues and operates in approximately 65 countries with over 20,000 employees worldwide.
How will Hoytink's experience in the 'Away From Home' beverage sector influence Hershey's strategy in the salty and protein snacking categories?
What specific metrics will Hershey use to measure the success of the unified 'ONE Hershey' commercial model under her leadership?
Could this leadership shift signal a broader strategic pivot toward expanding Hershey's foodservice and convenience store channels?
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