The Hershey Company has appointed Heather Hoytink as president, US, effective 8 July 2026, strengthening its leadership team as the snacking giant continues to expand across confectionery, salty snacks and protein categories.
Hoytink joins Hershey from PepsiCo, where she most recently served as senior vice president and chief commercial officer for US Away From Home Beverages. In that role, she led North America’s beverage commercialisation strategy across the away-from-home channel, working with major national customers to drive growth and expand consumer engagement with PepsiCo’s beverage portfolio.
She brings more than two decades of experience in sales, operations and commercial leadership, having held a number of senior roles throughout her career. Prior to her most recent position, Hoytink served as president of PepsiCo’s South Division, overseeing one of the company’s largest regions and delivering sustained revenue growth alongside margin expansion.
At Hershey, Hoytink will assume end-to-end responsibility for the company’s US commercial business.
Her remit will span Hershey’s confectionery, salty snack and protein portfolios, while advancing the company’s ‘ONE Hershey’ commercial strategy designed to provide a more integrated approach across retail and consumer touchpoints.
Kirk Tanner, president and chief executive officer of Hershey, said about the appointment: “Her [Hoytink] experience leading some of the largest, most complex customer and commercial organisations in the industry makes her exceptionally well-suited to lead our team into the next generation of growth.”
The appointment reflects Hershey’s continued focus on broadening its presence beyond traditional confectionery. Over recent years, the company has expanded its portfolio through acquisitions in salty snacks and functional nutrition, adding brands such as SkinnyPop, LesserEvil, Pirate’s Booty, Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels, ONE Brands and Fulfil alongside its established confectionery portfolio.
As President, US, Hoytink will oversee growth initiatives across retail, away-from-home, omnichannel and digital channels, supporting Hershey’s ambition to create a unified commercial model across its expanding snacking business.
Commenting on her appointment, Hoytink said: “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.
“I’m energised 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 programmes at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business and Harvard Business School.
The leadership appointment comes as Hershey continues to position itself as a diversified snacking company, generating annual revenues of more than $11.7bn across a portfolio of more than 85 brands sold in approximately 65 countries worldwide.
by Leah Smith
Source: foodbev.com
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