Michele Buck — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

First female Chairman, President, and CEO of The Hershey Company, appointed in March 2017.
President and Chief Executive Officer at The Hershey Company, a role she will retire from in June 2026.
Spearheaded major acquisitions for Hershey, including Krave Beef Jerky (2015), barkThins (2016), and Amplify Snack Brands (2017), the largest deal in company history.
Serves on the board of directors at New York Life and was named to the JPMorgan Chase board of directors in December 2024, effective March 2025.
Ranked 73rd on Fortune's list of Most Powerful Women in 2023.
Holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1987) and a B.B.A. from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.

Biography

Michele Buck is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Hershey Company, an American food manufacturing company. In March 2017, she became the first woman to serve as Chairman, President, and CEO of the company. Buck brings over 30 years of consumer packaged goods experience, having previously held senior positions at Kraft/Nabisco and the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo.