Wendy's Company has announced that its president and CEO Kirk Tanner will step down from his role on 18 July 2025. Ken Cook, the company's chief financial officer, has been appointed as interim CEO and Wendy's has initiated a search process to identify a permanent CEO.

Wendy's said on Tuesday its CEO Kirk Tanner was leaving the burger chain after just over a year in the role to take on the top job at chocolate maker Hershey. For Wendy's, the change comes at a time when it has been grappling with muted sales as macroeconomic volatility pushes more people to eat at home.

Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner has been named the new chief executive of The Hershey Company. Tanner will replace Michele Buck, who is retiring after almost 20 years at Hershey, including almost eight as CEO. Tanner's move to Hershey marks his return to the consumer packaged goods space.