Grant F. Reid, chief executive officer, Mars, is retiring after leading the business through unprecedented growth, impact, and transformation.  

Reid, who will remain at Mars until the end of the year, informed the board of his plan to retire 18 months ago, and has been closely involved in ensuring a smooth succession, which will see Poul Weihrauch, global president at Mars Petcare taking over as CEO, effective from the end of September. Reid has served as CEO since 2014.  

Mars board chair, Frank Mars, paid tribute to Reid’s “extraordinary legacy” – highlighting his countless achievements. Mars sales had grown by more than 50% to nearly $45B under Reid’s tenure, and the number of associates increased from 60,000 to more than 140,000.  

“While he is too modest to admit it, our significant transformation and record growth as a business would not have happened without Grant’s leadership," said Mars. "He has visibly lived our principles and embedded purpose at the heart of our business strategy. The Mars family are tremendously grateful for his dedication and service.  

“He has been a tower of strength, helping us charter new courses and pushing us beyond what we thought possible. He’s represented Mars on the global stage, particularly around climate change, and he has ensured that we are known for acting, not just making commitments.  

“We will greatly miss his principled leadership, his highly collaborative and engaging style and – not least – his dry Scottish sense of humor.” 

Next Chapter 
Weihrauch has worked in many parts of the business since joining in 2000 as European brand leader for Snickers. Having led the Mars Food business, he became president of gobal petcare in 2014 and, during that time, has overseen significant growth and diversification into veterinary health, diagnostics, data, and platforms, doubling the size of the business. Weihrauch has also driven significant focus and investment into the petcare sustainability agenda. 

“I have known Poul for 22 years, working closely with him for the last 10, and I know that he will be a wonderful leader for the next stage of our evolution," said Mars. “He is known for his inspirational and inclusive leadership style, for growing businesses and renovating brands and for his deep commitment to associate engagement and development. Following Grant’s decision, the board and I are grateful to be able to appoint such a strong Mars leader and are confident that Paul will both protect our legacy, while leading us into what promises to be a bright and exciting future.”