Hershey Taps Kraft Heinz Veteran as New Supply Chain Chief

Event summary

  • Mitchell Arends named Chief Supply Chain Officer of Hershey, effective June 22, 2026.
  • Arends succeeds Jason Reiman, who retires after 30 years at Hershey, staying until April 2027 for transition.
  • Arends previously led supply chains at UTZ Brands ($1.5B operations) and Kraft Heinz ($22B North American supply chain).
  • Focus areas include digital integration, automation, and insights-driven planning across Hershey's network.

The big picture

Hershey's appointment of Mitchell Arends reflects a strategic focus on leveraging external expertise to drive supply chain innovation. With a $11.7B revenue portfolio spanning confectionery, salty snacks, and protein products, Hershey aims to enhance operational efficiency through digital and automation advancements. The transition underscores the importance of supply chain agility in the competitive CPG landscape, where scalability and insights-driven planning are critical.

What we're watching

Digital Transformation
How Arends will accelerate Hershey's digital integration and automation efforts, building on Reiman's foundation of two fully digitally integrated manufacturing facilities.
Supply Chain Modernization
Whether Arends can sustain the momentum of supply chain modernization, particularly in integrated planning and network optimization, during the transition period.
Talent Development
The pace at which Arends can develop talent to support long-term supply chain transformation, emphasizing a people-first approach.

Related topics

Revenue