Deals
Hershey Meltdown Looms After Cadbury Clash With Trust
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Hershey Co. Chief Executive Officer David J. West didn’t expect his Pennsylvania overseer to be in Mayfair’s Stafford Hotel when he showed up for talks with Cadbury Plc last October.
Robert Reese, president of the trust that has controlled Hershey the past 92 years, had badgered West for months to merge with the U.K. chocolate maker. West was concerned that Reese was trying to undermine the Hershey CEO as he finally tried to negotiate a deal in London, according to people who participated in the merger discussions.