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Where Are All the Women CEOs?
The traditional stepping stones to the chief executive position are jobs responsible for the bottom line-such as head of division-and those roles are still overwhelmingly filled by men
Where Are All the Women CEOs?
The traditional stepping stones to the chief executive position are jobs responsible for the bottom line-such as head of division-and those roles are still overwhelmingly filled by men
Published 07-21-20
Submitted by The Hershey Company
Originally published by the Wall Street Journal
By Vanessa Fuhrmans
At Hershey Co., CEO Michele Buck is evidence of what strategic talent planning can bring. Under her male predecessor, J.P. Bilbrey, the candy giant began more systematically building a female talent pipeline to the C-suite. Five times a year, Ms. Buck, 58, and her executive team review the top 70 roles in the company. They discuss what career-critical assignments the men and women in those positions, and the high-potential talent just below them, should take on next to move higher, including by getting P&L experience.
Ms. Buck joined Hershey as its marketing chief in 2005. With Mr. Bilbrey’s support, she moved on to become chief growth officer and then took major P&L roles, running Hershey’s North American business and becoming its chief operating officer. In 2017, she became the company’s first female CEO.
“I could easily see another female CEO in Hershey’s future,” Ms. Buck said. “Our job is to insure there is a highly qualified, diverse set of executives ready to lead this company.”
The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company is headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania and is an industry-leading snacks company known for making more moments of goodness through its iconic brands, remarkable people and enduring commitment to doing the right thing for its people, planet and communities. Hershey has nearly 20,000 employees in the U.S. and around the world who work every day to deliver delicious, high-quality products. The company has more than 100 brand names in approximately 80 countries worldwide that drive more than $10.4 billion in annual revenues, including Hershey's, Reese's, Kit Kat®, Jolly Rancher and Ice Breakers, and fast-growing salty snacks including SkinnyPop, Pirate's Booty and Dot's Homestyle Pretzels.
For more than 125 years, Hershey has been committed to operating fairly, ethically and sustainably. The candy and snack maker’s founder, Milton Hershey, created Milton Hershey School in 1909 and since then the company has focused on helping children succeed through equitable access to education.
To learn more visit www.thehersheycompany.com.
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