Hershey Names Humberto Alfonso, Vice President, Finance and Planning, U.S. Commercial Group

HERSHEY, Pa., July 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- David J. West, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, The Hershey Company , today announced that Humberto Alfonso has been named Vice President, Finance and Planning, U.S. Commercial Group, effective July 17, 2006. Alfonso will report to West and support Christopher J. Baldwin, Senior Vice President, President U.S. Commercial Group.

Alfonso will have overall responsibility for providing finance and planning support to the U.S. Commercial Group. He will provide business insight and analysis to help further Hershey's value-enhancing strategy. He will also be instrumental in maintaining Hershey's strong control environment.

In making the announcement, West said, "Bert brings more than 20 years of financial leadership across all areas of finance, including treasury, business support and supply chain. He has extensive international experience as well as a deep understanding of the snack market. Throughout his career, he has maintained a strong focus on driving profitable growth, and he will play a key role in providing the financial insights, analysis and tools to help Hershey realize the opportunities in the U.S. confectionery and snack markets."

Alfonso joins Hershey from Cadbury Schweppes, where he was Executive Vice President Finance, Chief Financial Officer, Americas Beverages. He led all finance and information technology functions for the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean region. Alfonso joined Cadbury Schweppes in 2003 as Vice President Finance, Global Supply Chain. In this role, he was based in London with responsibility for developing financial and strategic aspects of the company's global supply chain, including logistics, procurement and sourcing.

Prior to joining Cadbury Schweppes, Alfonso was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the Adams Division of Pfizer, Inc. From 1983 to 2000, he worked in a variety of financial leadership positions at Warner Lambert, most recently as Vice President and International Treasurer.

A native of Cuba, Alfonso graduated from Rutgers University with a bachelor's degree in accounting. He holds an MBA in marketing from Rutgers.

About The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company is a leading snack food company and the largest North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products. With revenues of over $4 billion and more than 13,000 employees worldwide, The Hershey Company markets such well-known brands as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Kit Kat, Almond Joy, Mounds, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, and Mauna Loa, as well as innovative new products such as Take 5 and Hershey's Cookies. In addition to its traditional confectionery products, Hershey offers a range of products specifically developed to address the nutritional interests of today's health-conscious consumer. These products include sugar-free Hershey's, Reese's and York candies, and PayDay Pro. It also markets Hershey's cocoa, Hershey's syrup and other branded baking ingredients, toppings and beverages. In addition, Artisan Confections Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hershey Company, markets such premium chocolate offerings as Scharffen Berger, known for its high-cacao dark chocolate products, and Joseph Schmidt, recognized for its fine, handcrafted chocolate gifts. Visit us at http://www.hersheynewsroom.com/.