Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States, December 2025 – Kristen Walker has joined The Hershey Company as Vice President, Talent, bringing over 25 years of expertise in talent management, executive development, and organizational effectiveness. In her new role, Kristen will lead Hershey’s talent strategy, with a focus on leadership development, succession planning, performance management, and engagement—further strengthening the company’s commitment to nurturing high-performing teams and inclusive culture.
Kristen most recently served as VP, Talent Management at McKesson, where she designed and implemented comprehensive leadership programs aligned with business strategy. During her six-year tenure, she led executive development, modernized onboarding, and created data-driven talent interventions that significantly boosted leadership capability and engagement.
Prior to McKesson, Kristen spent over a decade at PepsiCo and Frito-Lay, where she held progressive roles across Global Sales, Marketing, Insights, and Corporate Functions. She successfully built global career pathing frameworks, revamped learning agendas, and deployed leadership development strategies that improved organizational health and competency scores across geographies.
Earlier in her career, Kristen held talent management and human performance consulting roles at Capgemini and Accenture, working across industries to deliver change management, training, and organizational design programs for Fortune 500 clients. These formative years laid the foundation for her enduring impact in large-scale transformation and executive capability building.
Kristen currently runs Walker Talent Management Consulting and also contributes to the field as Advisor to New Mountain Capital, Board Member at Udemy, and Advisory Board Member at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Her multifaceted leadership and boardroom insights add significant strategic value to her new role at The Hershey Company.
About The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company is a global leader in snacking and confectionery, with over 20,000 employees and more than 70 iconic brands including HERSHEY’S, REESE’S, KIT KAT®, ICE BREAKERS, and SKINNYPOP. Headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the company generates over $11 billion in annual revenue and is recognized for its enduring commitment to responsible growth, community impact, and employee well-being. Founded in 1894, the company’s legacy of purpose continues through the Milton Hershey School, which supports children’s access to education.
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