Future of Business: Mars CEO on How Business Can Be a Force for Good

Turn breakthrough ideas into real results at the virtual HBR Innovation Summit this November with top CEOs and masterclasses on AI and growth. Register by September 30th and save 25%. Learn more at hbr.org slash innovation summit. I'm Ada Ignatius and this is the HBR Ideacast. For the past several weeks, we've been sharing a series of conversations with CEOs that were part of HBR's recent future of business event.

Today is the last in that series, a conversation about the role of business and society with Paul Weihrau, the CEO of Mars. Mars, of course, produces candies like M<unk>Ms, Snickers, and Skittles, as well as pet food and pet services. It's a private company, and it's a purpose-driven one with highly ambitious sustainability goals. Since taking the helm in 2022, Waihrau has committed himself and the company to responsible growth and to having a net positive impact on society. We wanted to hear from him on how that effort is currently going in a moment of business uncertainty and amid a backlash from some quarters against corporate social responsibility.

Here's my conversation with Paul Weihrau, the CEO of Mars. Paul, you know, you you're a family owned company. It gives you a long term lens that many CEOs don't have. How does that affect way you think about growth or the way you think about risk?

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