David J. West Announces Hershey Executive Team

12/12/07 David J. West, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Hershey Company has announced several changes to the Hershey Executive Team. The changes are effective immediately.

John P. Bilbrey has been named Senior Vice President, President Hershey North America. Bilbrey joined Hershey in 2003 as Senior Vice President, President Hershey International. In his new role, Bilbrey will lead Hershey's U.S. and Canadian businesses. He will report to West and continue as a member of the Hershey Executive Team.

"J.P.'s sense of urgency, proven record of delivering growth and knowledge of our brands and customers make him the right leader to continue our focus on regaining momentum in Hershey's North American business," West said. "He has done an outstanding job of leading Hershey's global expansion. His broad leadership experience in sales and marketing will enable Hershey to drive growth through investment in our core brands and by leveraging our U.S. chocolate leadership and scale at retail."

West announced that Ted Jastrzebski has been named Senior Vice President, President Hershey International. Jastrzebski joined Hershey in 2004 and is currently Vice President, International Finance and Planning. In his new role, he will report to West and will serve as a member of the Hershey Executive Team.

"Ted has led our successful joint venture with Godrej in India and has been instrumental in our partnership with Lotte in China," West said. "His deep knowledge of Hershey's international business and his highly effective leadership style will ensure a seamless transition as we continue our disciplined approach to global expansion. Ted's team will continue to drive international growth by delivering locally relevant products to consumers in high-potential markets in Latin America and Asia."

West announced that Michele Buck has been named Senior Vice President, Global Chief Marketing Officer. Buck, who joined Hershey in 2005, is currently Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, U.S. In her new role, Buck will be responsible for driving world-class marketing and transformational growth platforms across the company. She will lead the company's efforts in the areas of consumer insights, portfolio strategy and innovation, The Hershey Experience, marketing excellence and corporate social responsibility. She will report to West and serve as a member of the Hershey Executive Team.

"Michele will bring company-wide focus to areas that are crucial for our long-term success, including global insights, marketing excellence and platform innovation," West said. "She will be instrumental in our efforts to capitalize on growth opportunities in the marketplace by delivering sustainable, insight-driven innovation across our portfolio. Michele's background in marketing leadership and her confectionery expertise will be tremendous assets as we align our innovation capabilities with Hershey's sales and marketing organizations."