Mars CEO Poul Weihrauch shares how family ownership enables long-term thinking, purpose-driven leadership, and sustainable growth across generations....
In an era where CEOs are under relentless pressure to deliver short-term gains while also addressing long-term challenges like sustainability, Poul Weihrauch considers himself fortunate. As the CEO of Mars – the 114-year-old, family-owned confectionery and pet care giant – he operates with a rare advantage: time.
“We like to say that we act in generations, not in quarters,” says Weihrauch, who joined the firm 25 years ago and steadily rose through the ranks.
Thanks to the Mars family’s long-term outlook and the company’s practice of reinvesting over 90% of its profits annually, Weihrauch has the freedom to prioritize lasting impact over short-term wins. The company evaluates success through four “compass quarters”: strong financial performance, quality growth, positive societal impact, and trusted partners. Notably, 40% of the long term compensation of Mars’ top 2,000 leaders, including Weihrauch, is tied to non-financial goals, an unusual commitment for a company of this scale in a corporate world still dominated by quarterly earnings targets.
In the face of rising obesity rates, particularly in the US, Mars has focused on responsible snacking, with smaller portion sizes, reduced sugar, and balanced messaging.
Although Mars is best known for confectionery, about 60% of its current revenue comes from its pet care business, which includes brands like Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin, and thousands of veterinary clinics all around the world. Snacking now makes up just over a third of the business, while its food division, including Ben’s Original rice and Dolmio pasta sauces, accounts for roughly 5%.
The company stands on the cusp of a major transformation. With a $35.9bn acquisition of Kellanova (the maker of Pringles and Cheez-It) nearing completion, Mars’ snacking division will soon rival its pet care business in size.
At a time when ultra-processed foods face rising scrutiny, obesity rates are climbing, and weight-loss drugs are reshaping eating habits, doubling down on savory snacks might seem counterintuitive. But Weihrauch is clear that consumer preferences must lead the way.
“As a snacking company, we aim to make sure we set the highest ethical standards for how we operate and continue to invest in new technology and science that will enable us to be at the forefront.”
In the face of rising obesity rates, particularly in the US, Mars has focused on responsible snacking, with smaller portion sizes, reduced sugar, and balanced messaging. In 2008, Mars was one of the first companies to voluntarily stop marketing to children and remove products from school vending machines.
Weihrauch, however, recalls an instructive lesson from the company’s past: “Years ago, our British business launched a low-calorie Mars bar, and it didn’t work at all,” he explains. “Consumers prefer to have a salad at lunchtime and a regular snack in the afternoon rather than a taste-compromised Mars bar. It all has to start from the consumer and work backwards, with science, technology, and R&D capabilities in the mix.”
“Its sustainability achievements include reaching zero waste to landfill across all factories, fully transitioning to green electricity by 2040 (now at 59% of our global footprint according to 2023 data).”
With an environmental footprint comparable to a small country, Mars takes its climate responsibilities seriously. In 2023, the company announced an investment of $1bn over three years to drive climate action, and it has since successfully decoupled growth from emissions, cutting absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 16% while increasing revenues by 60%, against a 2015 baseline.
Its sustainability achievements include reaching zero waste to landfill across all factories, fully transitioning to green electricity by 2040 (now at 59% of our global footprint according to 2023 data), employing satellite technology to monitor and prevent deforestation in cocoa sourcing, and advancing packaging circularity.
“Our purpose is very clear: the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today,” says Weihrauch.
He acknowledges, however, that many of the “low-hanging fruit” in sustainability have already been picked. The next frontier involves tackling harder issues, like reducing methane emissions from dairy farms. In this journey, NGOs and younger employees serve as valuable catalysts for accountability.
“When I started a job, I said, ‘Could I please have a job?'” he reflects. “Young people today say, ‘Why should I work for you?’ The tables have been turned, and we need to justify why they should want to work for us. These critical voices are helping us stay honest.”
Mars’ approach to talent reflects its generational mindset. “We want to recruit people to have a career, not just come for a couple of years and then go somewhere else. If that happens, we have not succeeded in our mission,” explains Weihrauch. “The company needs to grow – and we as Associates need to grow in this relationship.”
This commitment shows: 75% of the company’s leaders are developed internally. Mars refers to its employees as “Associates” (always written with a capital A), a deliberate choice to reflect partnership and shared growth.
Weihrauch himself began his career at the chewing gum brand Stimorol, then spent six years at Nestlé before joining Mars in 2000. Over two decades, he led various business units, including a purpose-driven transformation of its pet care division, before becoming “group” CEO in 2022.
The transition to the top role brought a shift in scope and responsibility. “The buck stops with you,” he says. He’s now accountable not just for results, but for the entire enterprise and its culture.
One of the biggest adjustments was moving from being a business unit leader to leading other business unit leaders. Thinking back to his first executive team meeting as CEO, Weihrauch remembers with a smile how his team seemed to make a conscious effort to signal to him that his new role would require some operational letting go.
Today, he measures success less by personal contribution and more by how effectively he enables teams, fosters alignment, and facilitates high-quality dialogue.
To maintain performance and trust, the leadership team regularly conducts “difficult decision drills,” where they practice open feedback and pause meetings to address behaviors and interpersonal dynamics.
Creating space for vulnerability has strengthened relationships. But balancing personal connections with performance expectations remains a challenge. Weihrauch maintains that as CEO, you must “put the company first” even if it means asking well-liked team members to move on when necessary.
“If you don’t live up to this responsibility about having the best leaders at all levels, who eventually is paying the price? The people below – the Associates that work for a leader who is not performing – will eventually pay the price.”
Weihrauch remains grounded in his belief that ethical leadership and commercial success are not at odds.
Despite the pressures – from climate change to soaring cocoa prices and scrutiny over its supply chain – Weihrauch remains grounded in his belief that ethical leadership and commercial success are not at odds.
Direct access to the Mars family helps him navigate complex decisions: “It’s incredibly valuable to be able to pick up the phone and say, ‘Does this feel right to you?’
And while much has changed in Mars’ business, one thing remains constant: “A world without chocolate,” he smiles, “would be less fun.”
Watch the full interview here to hear more from Poul Weihrauch, including how Mars strives to be very deliberate and thoughtful when deciding what gets centralized and what should stay within the business units; how the company selects and manages acquisitions; how it nurtures its very distinctive culture; and more on Poul’s leadership journey and philosophy.
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