Hershey has continue its trend of major senior hires in appointing Amanda Almond as its president, international, as the company seeks to enhance its global growth plans, reports Neill Barston.

Under CEO Kirk Tanner, who arrived at the business within the past year, the company recently named new chief finance officer, Dave Hulays, US region president Heather Hoytink, during a period of notable transition for the company, as it grapples with challenging market conditions. 

For her part, Almond joins the business from Vinarchy wine company, where she served as European managing director. She succeeds Rohit Grover, and brings more than 30 years of consumer goods and retail experience, including her most recent role, as well as 12 years in senior regional leadership roles at Bacardi.

At Vinarchy, the Bain Capital-backed global wine company, Almond led a region spanning 57 markets. During her 12 years at Bacardi, she held progressively larger leadership roles built on continued market performance. A high-energy, transformational leader, Almond is known for accelerating growth, bringing teams together and building strong performance cultures that deliver consistent, profitable results.

The new postholder for Hershey has a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Edinburgh and advanced retail and leadership program studies from the University of Oxford and Harvard School of Business. She will be based in Hershey’s UK office.

Grover joined Hershey in 1999 and has spent 27 years building the company’s business across its international regions and in the U.S., including eight years as President, International. Almond will work alongside Hershey’s International Leadership Team to ensure a seamless transition.

“Amanda is a proven international leader who knows how to build and scale brands in markets around the world,” said Kirk Tanner, president and CEO of The Hershey Company.

“She has a track record of scaling and growing businesses, bringing teams together and building high-performance cultures, and she brings the experience and energy to accelerate our international growth. I also want to thank Rohit for 27 years of leadership and dedication to Hershey. He has helped build our international markets to succeed in our next generation of growth.”

“Hershey’s brands are loved around the world, and I’m honored to join the company at such an exciting time for its international business,” said Almond. “I’m grateful to Rohit for the strong foundation he and the team have built, and I look forward to working with our teams, customers and partners to bring these iconic brands to even more consumers.”