Dec 12 (Reuters) - U.S. banking powerhouse JPMorgan

Chase ( JPM ) on Thursday announced the election of Hershey's

CEO Michele Buck to its board, effective March 17.

Buck, 63, is also the president and board chairman of

Hershey, the snacking and confectionary company behind

successful brands such as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Milk

Duds.

She started her career at the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo ( PEP )

and brings more than 30 years of experience in

consumer-packaged goods to JPMorgan ( JPM ).

"Michele Buck has deep experience leading large, complex

global organizations and guiding transformational change,"

JPMorgan ( JPM ) CEO Jamie Dimon said.

JPMorgan ( JPM ) is the largest U.S. bank with $4.2 trillion in

assets, as of Sept. 30. The bank's stock has surged roughly 42%

so far this year, giving it a market value of around $685.62

billion according to data compiled by LSEG.