Hershey names new COO

HERSHEY, Pa. The current SVP and president of Hershey North America was elected to serve as Hershey's COO, the confectionary giant announced Wednesday.

J.P. Bilbrey will serve as the company's EVP and COO, effective immediately. Bilbrey will be responsible for Hershey’s day-to-day operations and global commercial activities, leading the company’s supply chain and realigned geographic regions, including the United States, the Americas and Asia. He also will lead two newly created global strategic business units. The chocolate SBU and sugar confection SBU will be responsible for building and leveraging Hershey’s global brands, creating confectionery marketplace innovation and disseminating best demonstrated practices around the world.

Bilbrey will report to president and CEO David West.

“J.P. has an extensive record of success in delivering global growth and in building successful teams at Hershey,” West said. “J.P.’s global experience and knowledge of our business will ensure that more and more consumers around the world will come to recognize the quality and fun represented by Hershey’s brands.”