USA – Hershey, an American multinational confectionery, has appointed Michael Del Pozzo as President of U.S. Confection, effective September 16.
In this role, Del Pozzo will lead Hershey’s next phase of U.S. growth with a portfolio of iconic brands, including Hershey’s, Reese’s, and Jolly Rancher. Del Pozzo is succeeding Charles Raup who is retiring from Hershey after 15 years to “pursue other executive opportunities.”
He will join Hershey’s Executive Committee and work closely with its other two business unit leaders, Kristen Riggs, President, Salty Snacks, and Rohit Grover, President, International, to advance Hershey’s strategic ambitions and meet the needs of consumers and customers.
Hershey said Del Pozzo “brings a wealth of experience in leading growth and transformation” during his 23 years at PepsiCo.
As president and general manager of Gatorade, Del Pozzo recently oversaw a US$10 billion business, transforming the sports drinks company into a portfolio of sports and fitness brands. He also previously led the sales and commercial functions for PepsiCo’s Frito Lay North America unit.
“Mike’s deep consumer insights, his customer relationships, and his track record of delivering results and driving strategic change position him as the ideal leader to guide our U.S. Confection business through its next chapter,” said Michele Buck, The Hershey Company Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
“He will be instrumental in building on our strengths and advancing our Leading Snacking Powerhouse vision. I want to thank Chuck for his many valuable contributions during his long tenure at Hershey. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
Hershey has been aggressively innovating across its sweets portfolio, a task that will be among the most important for Del Pozzo.
He also will be responsible for navigating the ongoing volatility in cocoa prices and inflation that has caused consumers to cut back on what they buy. During its most recent quarter, Hershey noted organic volume fell 18%, and it lowered its full-year net sales growth outlook.
In 2023, Hershey generated US$9 billion of its US$11.2 billion in net sales from confections in North America. With Reese’s, Kisses, Twizzlers and Heath, among other brands, vital to its success.
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