Spark the Future: Mars VP of Quality & Food Safety learned at an early age the impact of delivering purpose through products
By Silvia Pereira, Mars VP, Corporate Quality & Food Safety
Growing up, science was all around me. My mom and dad were professors and scientists at the State University – mom specialized in biochemistry and dad in dentistry. Every night during dinner time, my four siblings and I sat together around the table, listening carefully to our parents’ stories about research and teaching. I was always fascinated by what they had to share.
One day, a neighbor came to have dinner with us. She was studying biochemistry and eagerly joined in our discussions. She was working on developing a food product that sparked my interest. As a power snack, not only could it be helpful for malnutrition, but the company that was launching it in a few months’ time also pledged to dedicate part of the profit to benefit people in need. The way she passionately described the development process, the product itself and the purpose resonated with me. It was that precise moment when I realized I wanted to study biochemistry and be a scientist to help develop purposeful products.
That’s why I am so honored and proud to work for a company like Mars that has a clear purpose dedicated to creating a better tomorrow. In everything we do, we leverage our Five Principles of Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom. This allows us to enable our investments in research not only in the short and medium term, as many companies do, but also in the long term. I am also fortunate to be surrounded by so many talented and inspiring professionals committed to ensuring we deliver our purpose through science.
If there’s one takeaway from what I’ve written, it’s to have a purpose in what you do. Never be afraid to pursue your purposeful dreams even when it is not an easy journey. Likewise, bring other people along; be the inspiration for other people to follow their dreams. Be the neighbor, parent or professional that empowers others to follow their passions. The spark is always there; it depends on us to identify it and let it grow.
