Natalie Rothman has been appointed as The Hershey Company’s new Chief Human Resources Officer, bringing with her more than 25 years of transformative HR leadership across diverse industries including consumer products, retail, automotive, foodservice, and beauty. A two-time CHRO and experienced public and private company board member, Natalie will now lead Hershey’s people strategy as the company continues to strengthen its position as a leading global snacking company.
Natalie most recently served as Chief People Officer at Inspire Brands, where she oversaw human resources for 32,600 restaurants under well-known banners such as Arby’s, Dunkin’, Buffalo Wild Wings, Baskin-Robbins, Jimmy John’s, and Sonic, supporting over 675,000 company and franchise employees. In this role, she transformed HR operations with a focus on engagement, leadership development, internal mobility, and frontline hiring innovation. Prior to Inspire, she served as CHRO at Advance Auto Parts, where she modernized HR practices, strengthened inclusion and diversity initiatives, and significantly improved organizational health and team member engagement.
Her earlier career includes more than a decade at PepsiCo, where she held senior HR leadership roles across North American and global divisions, driving cultural change, talent strategies, and leadership development. Natalie also began her career in executive search and later held HR leadership roles at Estée Lauder Companies before moving into employment law, giving her a uniquely broad perspective on people strategy, organizational design, and corporate governance.
Beyond her executive leadership roles, Natalie is actively engaged in governance and advisory positions. She currently serves as an Independent Board Director at Udemy, Chair of the Compensation Committee, and as a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee. She is also a Board Member at Pearce Services, an Advisor to New Mountain Capital, and serves on the Advisory Board of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Her governance experience, combined with her deep HR expertise, positions her to play a critical role in shaping Hershey’s future of work.
At Hershey, Natalie will lead efforts to build high-performing teams, modernize HR practices with technology and AI, and create innovative approaches to supporting a diverse, global workforce. Her passion for engaging frontline employees and driving cultural transformation aligns seamlessly with Hershey’s purpose-driven growth strategy, making her a key addition to the company’s leadership team.