Michele Buck Biography and Net Worth

Michele Buck is the chairman, president and CEO of The Hershey Company, with over 30 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry. She joined the company in 2005 and took over the president and CEO roles in 2017. During her tenure, the candy company’s stock has risen over 40 percent.

Before taking over as CEO, Buck held the position of chief operating officer, leading Hershey’s operations in North American as well as overseeing operations in Central and South America. She previously held the roles of global chief growth officer and global chief marketing officer.

While at Hershey, Buck led the acquisition of Krave Beef Jerky in 2015 and barkThins in 2016. These acquisitions allowed Hershey to expand into the broader snacks category.

Buck’s competence in the snack category can be credited to her experience at other big-name food corporations. Prior to joining Hershey, Buck spent 17 years with Kraft Foods, Nabisco, and the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo in numerous senior brand and marketing positions. She worked with brands like Funyuns, Cheetos and Cool Whip, driving significant growth for the latter after creating a holiday tradition out of the Fourth of July flag cake.

She sits on the board of New York Life and serves as a benefit co-chair for the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation. She was elected chairman of the board at Hershey in 2019.

Buck holds a bachelor’s degree from Shippensburg University and an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.