CHICAGO — Mars Inc., the family-owned powerhouse behind brands like M&M’s and Pedigree, has tapped consumer-packaged goods executive Lauren Larsen as chief customer officer for its Mars Food & Nutrition division in North America. The appointment, announced January 21, 2026, signals a strategic push to fortify sales amid shifting retail dynamics and consumer demands for convenient, value-driven meals.
Larsen, with 18 years in CPG sales, category management, and commercial strategy, steps into a role overseeing U.S. sales strategies for rice and ready meal categories. She will direct plans for key brands including Ben’s Original™, Seeds of Change™, and Tasty Bite®, while spearheading initiatives to boost market penetration and commercial excellence. Her hire comes as Mars navigates inflation pressures, channel shifts to e-commerce and foodservice, and competition from private labels in a market favoring premium yet affordable options.
“We’re excited to welcome Lauren to the Food & Nutrition North America Leadership Team,” said Dave Dusangh, regional president of Mars Food & Nutrition North America, in the company’s press release. “Her ability to build high-performing sales organizations and drive commercial excellence will help accelerate growth across our portfolio, strengthen trusted customer partnerships, and deliver against the shared goals we hold with our retail partners around quality, value, and long-term growth, while reinforcing the principles that make Mars a great place to work.”
Larsen’s Proven Track Record in Competitive Arenas
Prior to Mars, Larsen honed her expertise at Procter & Gamble and Glanbia, where she led sales strategies, category growth, and team-building across retail channels and consumer segments. At Glanbia Performance Nutrition, she served as vice president of sales, managing key accounts like Walmart and Sam’s Club, according to professional profiles aggregated on ZoomInfo. Her background equips her to tackle Mars’ goals of optimizing execution in mainstream supermarkets, online platforms, and foodservice outlets.
“Mars Food & Nutrition stands out for the strength of its brands and the way it partners with customers to deliver quality and value at scale,” Larsen stated in the PR Newswire release. “The portfolio plays an important role in everyday meals for families across North America, and I’m excited by the opportunity to build on that foundation, working closely with retail partners to unlock growth, strengthen execution, and help position the business for long-term success.”
The move aligns with Mars’ broader investments, including a planned $2 billion in additional U.S. manufacturing capacity by the end of 2026, building on $6 billion over the past five years, as noted by Progressive Grocer. This infrastructure bolsters the division’s ability to scale production for high-demand categories.
Strategic Focus Amid Market Pressures
Mars Food & Nutrition operates within a $65 billion-plus corporate ecosystem spanning snacks, petcare, and foods, facing headwinds like evolving shopper preferences and economic strains. Rice and prepared foods endure pressure from store brands but hold premium edges through innovation pipelines, per analysis in Milling Middle East & Africa Magazine. Larsen’s mandate emphasizes aligning commercial teams with retailer priorities on assortment, pricing, promotions, and in-store execution, leveraging data for incremental gains.
The division’s brands cater to busy consumers: Ben’s Original leads in microwavable rice, with untapped potential in bowls tried by only 30% of shoppers; Seeds of Change offers organic grains; and Tasty Bite delivers ethnic ready meals, as detailed in Food Dive. Recent launches like Ben’s Original Street Food entrées address demands for quick, nutritious, globally inspired options, with 48% of U.S. consumers prepping meals in under 15 minutes.
Dusangh’s leadership team, including recent VP of Marketing David Jacobs appointed in February 2025, underscores a pattern of CPG hires to drive penetration in rice and ready meals across the U.S. and Canada, according to PR Newswire.
Division’s Growth Engine in Broader Mars Empire
While Mars Food & Nutrition represents a sliver of the company’s $45 billion-plus annual revenue — dominated by snacking and petcare — it eyes substantial expansion. Executives project capturing over 50% more of the at-home meals market in the next decade through acquisitions like Kevin’s Natural Foods and innovations fusing convenience with health, as reported by Food Dive.
Brands like Ben’s Original have rolled out high-fiber 10 Medley and Plant Powered lines, responding to gut health trends, while Tasty Bite taps the gap between Indian restaurant dining and home preparation. Global president Shaid Shah emphasizes enabling healthier, flavorful daily eating via culinary R&D and retail ties, per Mars press releases.
Larsen’s arrival, echoed across trade outlets like Baking Business and Prepared Foods, positions the unit to leverage Mars’ Five Principles — Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom — in forging retailer alliances for sustained expansion.
Navigating Ready Meals Boom and Hurdles
The ready-to-eat sector surges with urbanization and time-strapped households, but challenges persist: high pricing, nutritional scrutiny, shelf-life issues, and supply chain gaps in emerging channels. Mars counters with no-artificial-additive products meeting WHO nutrition standards, as in Ben’s Original Lunch Bowls and Favourites launched in North America and the U.K.
In North America, where rice and prepared foods momentum builds despite private label rivalry, Larsen’s data-driven approach aims to enhance value creation. Her integration into the decentralized model supports sustainability ties, like rice farmer climate-smart practices, aligning with Mars’ long-term ethos.
As Mars eyes post-Kellanova acquisition synergies — expected to close soon per Progressive Grocer — Larsen’s role fortifies a division poised for outsized gains in everyday family meals.
