Buck announced in January her intention to retire from the company after 20 years; as chairman also, she largely steered Hershey’s acquisitions into salty snacks.

The Hershey Company has appointed Kirk Tanner to succeed Michele Buck as president and CEO, effective Aug. 18.

Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner has been named the new chief executive of The Hershey Company. Tanner will replace Michele Buck, who is retiring after almost 20 years at Hershey, including almost eight as CEO. Tanner's move to Hershey marks his return to the consumer packaged goods space.