The Hershey Company has named Mitchell Arends its next Chief Supply Chain Officer, effective June 22, 2026, bringing in a seasoned consumer-packaged goods executive to lead the confectionery giant's global sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution network. The move matters to foodservice and retail buyers who depend on consistent Hershey ingredient and finished-goods supply.
Arends arrives from UTZ Brands, where as Executive Vice President, Principal Operating Officer, and Chief Integrated Supply Chain Officer he held full operational accountability for a $1.5 billion business that encompassed supply chain, R&D, transformation, and direct store delivery operations. Before UTZ, he served as Chief Supply Chain Officer of North America at Kraft Heinz, overseeing a $22 billion supply chain spanning manufacturing, logistics, planning, and procurement — one of the largest such portfolios in the food industry.
His predecessor, Jason Reiman, is retiring after a 30-year career at Hershey. To minimize disruption, Reiman will remain with the company through April 2027, giving Arends nearly a full year of overlap to absorb institutional knowledge and complete any in-flight supply chain initiatives. That kind of structured handoff is increasingly rare in C-suite transitions and signals Hershey's intent to keep its supply network stable during a period when cocoa prices and ingredient availability remain volatile topics across the food manufacturing and ingredient sourcing landscape.
For restaurant operators and hospitality purchasing teams that rely on Hershey-branded ingredients — from cocoa powders and chocolate chips to branded dessert components — a seasoned CSCO with deep DSD and logistics experience could translate into more predictable lead times and fewer allocation headaches. Arends' background in direct store delivery at UTZ is particularly relevant for operators managing high-frequency replenishment cycles.
The appointment is the latest example of major food manufacturers reinforcing supply chain leadership as a strategic priority. As covered in our restaurant supply chain and procurement analysis, operators across segments have been pushing suppliers for greater transparency and reliability after years of pandemic-era disruptions. Hershey's decision to recruit externally — rather than promote from within — suggests the board wants fresh eyes on network optimization and resilience. Food & Beverage Magazine has tracked similar moves across the broader CPG sector as companies recalibrate for cost pressures and shifting demand patterns.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
