NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New York Life announced today that its Board of Directors has elected veteran consumer products executive Michele G. Buck to the company’s Board, effective November 1, 2013. Ms. Buck is president, North America, for The Hershey Company, a leading global manufacturer of chocolate and confectionary products and one of America’s most iconic brands.
Ted Mathas, chairman and CEO of New York Life said, “The entire Board is looking forward to having an individual with Ms. Buck’s extensive marketing experience, as well as leadership and business-building skills, in our deliberations.”
Ms. Buck has full profit and loss responsibility for Hershey’s North America business which represents the company’s largest, most profitable markets, in the U.S. and Canada. She leads Hershey’s North American day-to-day commercial operations and is building on the company’s competitive advantages. Previous to her current position, Ms. Buck was senior vice president, chief growth officer, and one of the principal architects of Hershey’s current strategy that has the company on an aspirational path to achieve $10 billion in revenue by the end of 2017. Prior to that, she was the company’s global chief marketing officer.
With revenues of nearly $7 billion, Hershey offers confectionery products under more than 80 brand names, including some of America’s favorites such as Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses, Kit Kat, Twizzlers, Jolly Rancher and Ice Breakers.
Prior to joining Hershey in 2005, Ms. Buck had a distinguished career in consumer marketing and operations management with Kraft and Nabisco. Among the many household names she has been responsible for during the course of her long career at Nabisco and Kraft are Jell-O, Cool Whip, Life-Savers, Planters, Altoids, and Light n’ Lively and Breyers Yogurt. Ms. Buck began her career as an assistant product manager with Frito-Lay in 1987.
Ms. Buck serves as a Benefit Co-Chair for the nonprofit Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation. She holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Shippensburg University. She resides in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
New York Life Insurance Company, a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States* and one of the largest life insurers in the world. New York Life has the highest possible financial strength ratings currently awarded to any life insurer from all four of the major credit rating agencies: A.M. Best (A++), Fitch (AAA), Moody’s Investors Service (Aaa), Standard & Poor’s (AA+).** Headquartered in New York City, New York Life’s family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. New York Life Investments*** provides institutional asset management and retirement plan services. Other New York Life affiliates provide an array of securities products and services, as well as retail mutual funds. Please visit New York Life’s Web site at www.newyorklife.com for more information.
*Based on revenue as reported by “Fortune 500 ranked within Industries, Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual),” Fortune magazine, May 20, 2013. See http://www.money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2012/faq/ for methodology.
**Individual independent rating agency commentary as of 8/1/13.
***New York Life Investments is a service mark used by New York Life Investment Management Holdings LLC and its subsidiary, New York Life Investment Management LLC.