Mars Wrigley Strengthens Asia's Growth Ambition with Two Senior Executive Appointments

SINGAPORE, Jan. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars Wrigley, a global leader in the treats and snacks category and a business division of Mars Incorporated, has announced the appointment of two senior executives to bolster the strength of its Asia Leadership Team, as it pursues quality growth in a region that is poised for double-digit growth, and home to nearly five billion people. Kristi Kee is the Sales and Operations (S&OP) and Activity Management Director for Asia, and Huyen Bui is the General Manager for Vietnam. Both leaders bring more than two decades of deep experience in each of their functional areas and will join the Mars Wrigley Asia Leadership Team.

Both Kristi and Huyen report directly to Kalpesh Parmar, General Manager for Mars Wrigley Asia. Following his transition from Mars Wrigley in India to Mars Wrigley Asia, Kalpesh has leveraged his experience in business strategy and brand building to drive growth while focusing on talent development and engagement. The appointment of both Kristi and Huyen underscores the company's commitment to fostering gender diversity and representation in key leadership roles that reflects the race and ethnicities of the region it operates in.

In her role as S&OP and Activity Management Director for Asia at Mars Wrigley, Kristi plays a pivotal role in leading a diverse and engaged team across the region to transform Asia's sales planning and commercial operations. Kristi's robust commercial background and strategic agility is demonstrated through her global experience in previous roles, including spearheading the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process across 80 countries which led to demand forecasting improvements and resource optimization.

Nurturing local markets for success

As the General Manager for Vietnam, Huyen will play a critical role in accelerating quality growth to optimize share growth, distribution and profitability in this strategic market of opportunity for Mars Wrigley Asia. She has joined the company since January this year and brings with her 22 years of experience in various leadership roles within the FMCG industry. A seasoned commercial leader, Huyen has made significant contributions across the Home Care, Snack Food and Beverage segments in her previous roles. As General Manager of Vietnam, she will also focus on nurturing local talent and strengthen Mars Wrigley's brand presence amongst Vietnamese consumers.

Kalpesh Parmar, General Manager at Mars Wrigley Asia said, "We are delighted to welcome two female leaders - Kristi and Huyen - to the Asia team. As the Mars Wrigley Asia business is expected to fuel the future growth for the company, I am confident that their strong credentials in transformational leadership and commercial acumen will accelerate Asia's trajectory to achieve our billion-dollar ambition by ensuring our iconic brands such as M&M'S, Snickers, Doublemint and Skittles inspire moments of everyday happiness."

About Mars, Incorporated

For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This common purpose unites our 140,000+ Associates. It is at the center of who we are as a global, family-owned business, and it fuels how we are transforming, innovating, and evolving to make a positive impact on the world.

Every year, our diverse and expanding portfolio of quality confectionery, food, and pet care products and services delight millions of people and supports millions of pets. With almost $45 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world's best-loved brands including Ben's Original™, CESAR®, Cocoavia®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, KIND®, M&M's®, SNICKERS®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, and WHISKAS®.  We are creating a better world for pets through nutrition, breakthrough programs in diagnostics, wearable health monitoring, DNA testing, pet welfare and comprehensive veterinary care with AniCura, BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, Linnaeus and VCA™.

We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our Associates to act every day to help create a better world tomorrow in which the planet, its people and pets can thrive.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.