Michele Buck

Buck took the reins in March after 12 years at Hershey, a period in which she pushed the iconic candy­maker to look beyond chocolate—including spearheading its acquisition of Krave jerky. Her latest promotion into the top job became effective just six months after Mondelez dropped its unsolicited bid for the confectionery company. Now Buck must prove that Hershey is better off alone as it faces a changing consumer landscape. It may be an uphill battle. Sales rose less than 1% last year to $7.4 billion.