The Hershey Company Names Mitchell Arends as Chief Supply Chain Officer

HERSHEY, Pa. — The Hershey Company announced that Mitchell Arends has been named chief supply chain officer, effective June 22. Arends succeeds Jason Reiman, who is retiring after a 30-year career with the company. Reiman will remain with the company through April 2027 to ensure a thorough and structured leadership transition. 

Arends brings more than 25 years of end-to-end supply chain leadership in consumer-packaged goods. He joins Hershey from UTZ Brands, where he served as executive vice president, principal operating officer, and chief integrated supply chain officer, with full operational accountability for a $1.5 billion business spanning supply chain, R&D, transformation and direct store delivery (DSD) operations, Hershey said. Prior to UTZ, Arends served as chief supply chain officer of North America at Kraft Heinz, responsible for a $22 billion supply chain across manufacturing, logistics, planning and procurement. 

"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," said Kirk Tanner, president and CEO, The Hershey Company. "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." 

Arends will have end-to-end accountability for Hershey's integrated supply chain — manufacturing, procurement, logistics and planning. He will focus on accelerating digital integration and automation and advancing insights-driven planning across the network, according to Hershey. 

"The opportunity to continue building a supply chain for some of the world's most iconic products is an exciting moment in my career," said Mitchell Arends. "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 optimizing networks. It means developing the talent capable of sustaining that transformation long after any single initiative is complete."

During the transition period through the first quarter of 2027, Reiman will partner with Arends on supply chain modernization, with a focus on integrated planning, accelerated digital capabilities and network optimization. 

Reiman joined Hershey as an intern and built a career spanning the full breadth of the supply chain. His contributions include bringing core capacity and expanded confection capabilities in-house, standing up two fully digitally integrated manufacturing facilities and building the salty snacks network that is now 80% insourced, Hershey reported. 

"I've always believed that great leadership is a relay. I'm proud to hand this baton to Mitch," said Jason Reiman, chief supply chain officer, The Hershey Company.  "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."