Hershey CIO Gene Kholodenko to Share Modern Data Strategies at Analytics Unite
The Hershey Co. has undergone a significant digital modernization, hiring a CTO and a CIO in the last two years to work together to accelerate data-driven decision-making.
CIO Gene Kholodenko will take the stage this April at Analytics Unite to speak about the foundation companies can establish as they rethink their data strategies for the age of intelligent automation, sharing some of Hershey's best practices.
About the event: Held April 7-9 at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, Analytics Unite 2026 is built around a single mission: Redefining the Possible. This year's theme focuses on the growth track, which is rarely a straight path, but instead belongs to leaders who embrace volatility with adaptability, agility and confidence.
Join Kholodenko and additional panelists from Diageo, Sephora and Target to learn how to navigate disconnected systems, legacy mindsets and competing priorities by prioritizing speed, trust and interoperability.
Rethinking Data Strategy for the Age of Intelligent Integration
This session brings together senior retail and consumer goods leaders who have redefined their data foundations to enable smarter decisions and measurable impact. From breaking down silos to building unified data ecosystems, we'll explore how they’ve turned data strategy from a static plan into a living framework that fuels innovation, efficiency and growth.
More About Kholodenko
Kholodenko leads enterprise-wide IT modernization in support of Hershey’s strategy to become a multi-category snacking leader. He brings 26-plus years of IT leadership at Fortune 50 companies, with prior roles including CIO, pharmaceutical distribution, sales and marketing at McKesson, and more than two decades at Procter & Gamble, where he held multiple business sub-unit CIO and technology leadership roles.
