Kirk Tanner, the current CEO of Wendy’s, has been appointed as the new chief executive of The Hershey Company, effective August 18. Tanner takes over from Michele Buck, who is set to retire after a nearly two-decade tenure at Hershey, which includes close to eight years as CEO.
Before joining Wendy’s in 2024, Tanner accumulated over 30 years of experience at PepsiCo, where he notably led the North American beverages division. His new role at Hershey signifies a return to the consumer packaged goods sector.
Mary Kay Haben, chair of Hershey’s CEO search committee, expressed confidence in Tanner’s capabilities, stating, “Kirk is a proven, high-impact leader in the food and beverage industry with a great combination of customer and consumer passion, commercial acumen and operational scale.” She highlighted his extensive expertise in snacks, beverages, mergers and acquisitions, and innovation as critical to guiding Hershey into its next chapter.
Buck had initially announced her retirement plans at the year’s start and will continue to serve as an advisor to Hershey until the end of the year.
In Tanner’s absence, Wendy’s Chief Financial Officer Ken Cook will step in as the interim CEO when Tanner departs on July 18. Cook has been with Wendy’s since 2024 and formerly held senior positions at UPS.
The board at Wendy’s has commenced the process of finding a permanent replacement for Tanner.
