US chocolate and confectionery company Hershey has moved quickly to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of CEO Richard Lenny.
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Hershey has appointed chief operating officer David West to the positions of president and CEO.
Hershey said yesterday (2 October) that Lenny would be retiring from the company at the end of the year. Lenny’s decision was announced amid specualtion that he had grown frustrated with its ownership structure.
West will take over as president and director with immediate effect, and will assume the role of CEO on 1 December.
Lenny will continue as chairman through to the end of the year, with director Robert Campbell taking over as non-executive chairman on 1 January next year.
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By GlobalData“Dave is a very strong leader with an in-depth knowledge of all aspects of Hershey’s business,” Campbell said.
In his current position, West oversees the company’s day-to-day operations, including Hershey’s North American commercial group, international commercial group, and global supply chain activities.
He joined Hershey in May 2001 as vice president, business planning and development, holding various positions before becoming CFO in 2005. West was formerly CFO at Nabisco Biscuit and Snacks Group, and prior to his 14-year career with Nabisco, worked for Wearever Proctor-Silex and Unisys.
Campbell retired in June 2000 as chairman and CEO of petroleum refiner Sunoco. He is a director of Cigna Corporation and Vical, and has been on the Hershey board since 1995.
