On September 25th, the Nicholas Center welcomed Steve Voskuil, Chief Financial Officer at The Hershey Company. Steve took time to share his distinguished career path, spanning global finance, strategic leadership, and mergers and acquisitions. His wealth of experience and authentic approach provided CFIB students with practical advice on becoming well-rounded professionals, seeking purpose-driven careers, and placing an emphasis on corporate culture as a strategic asset.
A native Wisconsinite from Oostburg, Steve graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1991, whereafter he started a storied 22-year career at Kimberly-Clark, including roles as the CFO of Kimberly-Clark International and SVP and CFO of Halyard Health, formerly known as Kimberly-Clark Health Care. During his tenure at Kimberly-Clark, Steve attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business and gained invaluable experience and expertise in M&A. In 2019, Steve was appointed SVP and CFO of The Hershey Company, providing a polished versatility to grow the company both organically and inorganically. Steve’s career has been shaped by a willingness to take on diverse roles, embrace ambiguity, and continuously learn.
Steve emphasized that corporate culture isn’t simply a soft metric, it is a strategic advantage. He illustrated how cultivating trust, transparency, and empowerment within teams is essential to shaping strategic leaders who act as catalysts for high performance and innovation, intangible skills that The Hershey Company looks for in its future professionals. In addition, he challenged students to reflect on their personal purpose and passions, seeking out companies whose values align with their own. His message to future corporate professionals was simple: when your career is anchored in meaning, your impact multiples. Just as importantly, Steve encouraged all aspiring young professionals to seek out cross-functional experiences, stretch assignments, and global exposure. With more well-rounded experiences, business professionals are able to understand the business holistically and connect the dots across multiple disciplines.
Steve’s path in finance is a masterclass in professionalism. His connection to the state of Wisconsin and UW-Madison is apparent in his passion and exuberance to mentor students looking to take their careers to the next level. His plans while in Wisconsin? Stock shelves in Sheboygan with his wife, attend the Packer game, and visit family. Steve’s energy is everything one would expect from an executive at the most reputable candy company in the world, full of life, joy, and passion.
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