Kirk Tanner, then CEO of North American Beverages for Pepsico Inc., is expressed at the Bloomberg Power Players summit in Miami, Florida, January 31, 2020.
Marco Bello | Bloomberg | Getty images
Wendy CEO Kirk Tanner has been appointed new managing director of Hershey companyin force on August 18.
Tanner will replace Michele Buck, who retires after almost 20 years in Hershey, including almost eight as CEOs.
Tanner joined Wendy in 2024 after more than 30 years in PepsicoIncluding the direction of the North American drinking unit of the company. Its move to Hershey marks a return to the space of packaged products to consumers.
“Kirk is a proven and high impact leader in the food industry and drinks with an excellent combination of passion for customers and consumers, a sense of commercial sense and an operational scale,” said Mary Kay Haben, director and president of the CEO research committee in Hershey, in a press release on Tuesday. “His in -depth experience in snacks, drinks, mergers and acquisitions and innovation – combined with CEOs of CEO and public board of directors – makes him well suited to drive Hershey in the future.”
Buck initially announced its intention to withdraw from Hershey at the start of the year. She will remain counselor from Hershey until the end of the year.
Wendy’s appointed chief financial director Ken Cook as his interim CEO when Tanner moves on July 18. Cook has been a financial director since 2024 and has held senior positions in Tall Before that.
Wendy’s board of directors has launched a search for permanent replacement.