Melissa Hockstad is President and CEO of Consumer Brands Association, the leading trade association for the makers of America’s food, beverage, household and personal care products consumers trust and rely on every day. The consumer packaged goods industry is the largest domestic manufacturing employer, supporting 22.3 million American jobs, and plays a vital role in powering the U.S. economy, contributing $2.5 trillion to U.S. GDP.

Hockstad joined the Consumer Brands Association in January 2025 after an eight-year tenure as president and CEO of the American Cleaning Institute, the leading association representing the U.S. cleaning product supply chain.

Hockstad has built a career spanning over 27 years in executive strategic, advocacy, scientific and industry affairs roles. She previously held positions at the Plastics Industry Association where she was the Vice President – Science, Technology and Regulatory Affairs, the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) where she served as Performance Improvement Director as well as at Basell Polyolefins (now LyondellBasell) where she was a Senior Engineer.

She currently serves on the National Association of Manufacturers – Council of Manufacturing Associations Board of Advisors, the Pennsylvania State Department of Materials Science and Engineering External Advisory Board and the So Others Might Eat (SOME) Corporate Advisory Board.

A proud graduate of the University of Virginia, Hockstad went on to receive her M.S. from the Pennsylvania State University. Hockstad is a past recipient of the Association Executive of the Year Award issued by Association Trends/CEO Update and the Penn State Materials Science and Engineering Alumna of the Year. Hockstad lives in Washington, DC with her husband.