HERSHEY, Pa., Sept. 19, 2023  /PRNewswire/ -- The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) today announced Deepak Bhatia as its first Chief Technology Officer and newest member of its Executive Committee. Bhatia will lead the company's global technology strategy, architecting and deploying digital capabilities that are innovative, flexible and prepared to meet the changing needs of Hershey's consumers, retail partners and employees.

Formerly the Vice President of Supply Chain Optimization Technologies at Amazon, Bhatia brings deep expertise in developing cutting-edge automated systems, supply chain planning, optimization and simulation, artificial intelligence and predictive analytics.

"We are investing in our people and digital capabilities to strengthen our infrastructure and scale across our growing supply chain and business units," said Michele Buck, The Hershey Company President and Chief Executive Officer. "As we continue to double down in this area, Deepak has the expertise needed to successfully lead our technology strategy leveraging end-to-end data, analytics and automation to elevate our employee experience, create commercial value and advance our leading snacking powerhouse vision."

"I am honored and humbled to be joining Hershey, a company with an incredible legacy and culture," shared Bhatia.  "We are experiencing unprecedented technological innovation, and I am thrilled to spearhead the development and execution of a technology-driven transformation that will meet and exceed the evolving needs of our consumers and customers. I look forward to shaping a future of innovation and excellence."

During his 12-year tenure at Amazon in supply chain optimization, Bhatia led the development of large-scale automated decision-making systems dealing with some of the most computationally and mathematically challenging problems in large complex supply chains, bringing applied science, software engineering and product management together.  Prior to Amazon, Bhatia spent 11 years at Applied Materials, where, in addition to supply chain optimization, he also built expertise in predictive business analytics to inform product management and innovation strategies.

Bhatia holds a M.S. in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University and an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering from Purdue University. He resides in Seattle, Washington, with his wife, Preeti, and sons, Daksh and Saarthak. His first day at Hershey will be on October 23.

About 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 Skinny Pop, 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.

SOURCE The Hershey Company