Poul Weihrauch

Chief Executive Officer & Office of the President, Mars

Search every verified Poul Weihrauch interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a July 2025 interview with IMD, Mars CEO Poul Weihrauch discussed how the company’s family ownership structure enables long-term thinking on sustainability. He stated that Mars has an environmental footprint comparable to that of Finland and said the company aims to be “at the forefront of reducing our environmental footprint.” Weihrauch noted that family ownership allows him to call shareholders and ask whether a decision “feels right,” adding that such decisions are “good business long term” even if they may not benefit the company in the short term. Weihrauch also addressed criticism of Mars’ sugar confectionery business. He said the company believes in advocating a healthy diet while also maintaining that chocolate “plays a role” in a “fun” world. Regarding challenges such as child labor in cocoa farming and nutrition concerns, Weihrauch acknowledged that Mars does not have a “magic formula” and may not always get decisions right. He credited NGOs and younger employees for asking tough questions, saying these critical voices are “helpful if we want to listen to them.”