Leslie Turner's Sweet New Gig as Hershey General Counsel

Elizabeth Hampton

Corporate Counsel

06-25-2012

The Hershey Company has named Leslie Turner to a sweet gig as its new senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. Turner, who starts at Hershey on July 9, will report to president and chief executive officer John Bilbrey, and also serve as a member of Hershey’s Global Leadership Team.

For a veteran in-house counsel such as Turner, the Hershey position like the proverbial candy store: the company has operations worldwide and manages 25 different brands, including ubiquitous confections such as Reese’s, Hershey Kisses, York Peppermint Patties, and Jolly Ranchers, as well as artisan products like Scharffen Berger. The company has approximately 12,000 employees and revenues exceeding $6 billion.

Turner comes to Hershey with a taste for the in-house duties of major food and beverage corporations. Most recently, she was the chief legal officer for Coca-Cola North America, a position she held for four years. In addition to supporting Coca-Cola’s strategic direction and growth initiatives, she was responsible for protecting Coca-Cola’s brands, reputation, resources, and people.

“I am excited to join Hershey and look forward to the opportunity to support some of the world’s best-known and beloved brands. Hershey has a long record of ethical leadership and a strong company reputation, reflecting more than a century of doing well by doing good in the communities where the company operates its businesses,” Turner said in a company statement.

Turner has long placed an emphasis on the relationship between company and community. While giving a lecture to a group of University of Georgia School of Law students earlier this year, she stressed that businesses have a lot to gain from being mindful of social issues, stating that their “success depends upon the consistent renewal of the social license to operate.” Hershey’s social initiatives, such as the Milton Hershey School—an institute that provides education, housing, and medical care to children in need—should make the company a good fit for Tuner.

A graduate of Georgetown Law School, Turner’s 25 years in the legal industry are as diverse as her new employer’s toothsome brands. As a young attorney, she worked in government offices, including within the U.S. Department of the Interior, before moving into private practice at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. She got her first taste of in-house life at Coca-Cola Company’s Bottling Investments Group, where she served as associate general counsel.

In addition to her work in the legal field, Turner is on the Board of Directors for Georgia Appleseed; the Board of Visitors for Georgetown University Law Center; and is a Trustee for the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.