Michele Buck is an American businesswoman. In March 2017, she became the first female Chairman, President, and CEO of The Hershey Company, an American food manufacturing company, replacing former CEO John Bilbrey. [1] [2] [3] [4]
A native of central Pennsylvania, Buck earned a bachelor's degree at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1987. [5] [6]
Before joining Hershey in 2005, Buck worked for 17 years at Kraft/Nabisco, holding several senior positions including Senior Vice President and General Manager for Kraft Confections, as well as senior positions at the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo. [7]
At Hershey, Buck spearheaded the acquisition of Krave Beef Jerky, acquired by Hershey in 2015, and barkThins, a healthy chocolate brand acquired in 2016. [1] [8] [9] Prior to her appointment as CEO, Buck served as Chief Operating Officer for Hershey, where she led the company's day-to-day operations in North America as well as operations in Central and South America. [7] In December 2016, it was announced that she was to succeed John Bilbrey as chief executive officer of the company. [6]
In 2017, Hershey announced its first acquisition under Buck, a $1.6 billion deal to purchase Amplify Snack Brands, further diversifying Hershey's holdings in the healthy snack category. It is the largest deal to date in the history of The Hershey Company. [10]
Buck currently serves on the board of directors at New York Life, [11] and as a Benefit Co-Chair for the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation. [12] [13]
In October 2019, Buck was elected chairman of the board of directors at The Hershey Company. [14] [15]
She was ranked 73rd on Fortune 's list of Most Powerful Women in 2023. [16]
In 2023, Buck's total compensation at Hershey was $15.6 million, or 360 times the median employee pay at Hershey for that year. [17]
In 2005, while serving as Senior Vice President, President of U.S. Snacks at Hershey, Buck received the Women Worth Watching Award. [18]
Buck received a Corporate Citizenship Award from the Committee for Economic Development or CED. [19]
Buck has been named multiple times to Fortune's "Most Powerful Women" list. [10] [20]
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization.
The Hershey Company, often called just Hershey or Hershey's, is an American multinational confectionery company headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hersheypark and Hershey's Chocolate World. The Hershey Company is one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world; it also manufactures baked products, such as cookies and cakes, and sells beverages like milkshakes, as well as other products. The Hershey Company was founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894 as the Hershey Chocolate Company, originally established as a subsidiary of his Lancaster Caramel Company. The Hershey Trust Company owns a minority stake but retains a majority of the voting power within the company.
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John P. Bilbrey ("J.P") was the president and CEO of The Hershey Company from May 17, 2011, to March 2017. Bilbrey is currently the interim chief executive officer for Olaplex, where he was previously the executive officer on the board.
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