Hershey Names Mitchell Arends Chief Supply Chain Officer

The Hershey Company has picked Mitchell Arends as its new Chief Supply Chain Officer. Mitchell will succeed Jason Reiman on 22 June, 2026, who has spent 30 years at the company and will continue to be a part of the leadership process through April 2027 to facilitate a seamless transition.

Both Mitchell and Jason will partner on supply chain modernisation, focusing on integrated planning, accelerated digital capabilities and network optimisation.

Mitchell says: "The opportunity to continue building a supply chain for some of the world's most iconic products is an exciting moment in my career.

"Doing that in a way that develops people and strengthens the communities where we operate makes it even more so. Building a supply chain fit for the future means more than deploying technology or optimising networks. It means developing the talent capable of sustaining that transformation long after any single initiative is complete." 

Jason gave kudos to Mitchell on his new opportunity with Hershey: "I've always believed that great leadership is a relay. I'm proud to hand this baton to Mitch.

"He has the vision, the experience, and the values to carry this work forward and to uphold what Milton Hershey built. I'm grateful for every year, for the people I worked alongside, and for what this company stands for." 

Mitchell's prior history

In his role with Hershey, Mitchell will be responsible for integrated supply chain, including manufacturing, procurement, logistics, and planning.

Mitchell has spent 25 years in supply chain leadership within consumer-packaged goods companies. He was previously Executive Vice President, Principal Operating Officer, and Chief Integrated Supply Chain Officer of UTZ Brands. Mitchell was responsible for a US$1.5bn across supply chain, R&D, transformation and direct store delivery (DSD) operations. 

Before joining UTZ Brands, Mitchell served as Chief Supply Chain Officer of North America at Kraft Heinz, overseeing a US$22bn supply chain across manufacturing, logistics, planning and procurement.

He also spent six years at Nestlé & Gerber, and five years across numerous supply chain roles at Deere & Company. Mitchell began his career at Quality Farm and Fleet in supply chain and merchandising.

CEO Approval

Kirk Tanner, President and CEO of The Hershey Company, adds: "Mitch is a proven transformational leader with the end-to-end mindset, track record, and people-first approach that will continue to drive Hershey's supply chain forward.

"His experience across complex operations in the CPG industry makes him well-suited to build on the foundation Jason has established.

"At the same time, we are deeply grateful to Jason. His 30-year journey from intern to Chief Supply Chain Officer reflects the commitment and character that define this company. He leaves a supply chain that is stronger, more capable and better positioned than ever."

This latest announcement from Hershey comes as the brand works to make its supply chain more sustainable by reducing emissions and improving agriculture.

Its new approach, titled  'Source, Make, Delight' focuses on a 50% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030. Hershey will also attempt to source 100% of its electricity from renewable and zero-emissions sources.