Heather Penney

Senior Manager
Russell Stover Chocolates

 

Heather Penney is the senior manager of R&D at Russell Stover Chocolates, bringing more than 20 years of experience in product development, commercialization and technical leadership within the food industry. She brings deep expertise in product development, commercialization, technical operations and cross-functional collaboration across organizations, including Pepperidge Farm, Advanced Food Products, Cargill and the Campbell's Company.

Penney’s career path reflects her commitment to technical excellence and team empowerment. She has supported hundreds of product launches, built and optimized R&D workflows and helped organizations strengthen innovation capabilities through data-driven systems and strong leadership. She has held key roles supporting everything from culinary development and bench-top formulation to large-scale commercialization and portfolio management. Whether leading cross-functional teams, troubleshooting complex technical issues or refining R&D systems, Penney is known for her ability to unite people, streamline processes and deliver results.

Penney holds a Master of Science in Management with a Project Management concentration from Rosemont College and a Bachelor of Science in Food Science from The Pennsylvania State University.

When she’s not developing delicious new products, you'll find Penney cheering at her daughter's swim and soccer meets, spending time with her husband or exploring the area.