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Strategic expansion: Canadian companies' roadmap to US capital success

Our latest guide will give you direct-application tools to help tap into the US funding market.

Financing workbook 2: The business plan and executive summary

Pulling the background information and strategy together to create a coherent business plan can be very time-consuming, especially if you have a great deal of data and information to distill. But it does not have to be.

Download and use this workbook to:

• Identify key information for your business plan.
• Create a team business-planning workshop.
• Write your business plan and executive summary.

Financing workbook 2: The business plan and executive summary is designed specifically for technology and life sciences companies. This workbook is part two of a four-part series covering business planning and financing. Each part, or “Building block,” adds to the foundation of the previous one:

• Building block 1: Developing a financing strategy for your company
• Building block 2: The business plan and executive summary
• Building block 3: Identifying, targeting and engaging potential investors
• Building block 4: Developing and delivering a winning investor presentation

MaRS workbooks are comprised of two elements― the workbook guide , which contains instructions, examples and activities, and the workbook template, in which you can write your responses. You can personalize the workbook template by adding your company name and logo.

Download: The business plan and executive summary

Download: The business plan and executive summary workbook template

Financing workbook 3: Identifying, targeting and engaging potential investors

Financing workbook 4: developing and delivering a winning investor presentation, sign up for our monthly startup resources newsletter about building high-growth companies..

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For over a century, we’ve been driven by a belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today.

Our Principles form the foundation of how we do business today and every day.

The Mars Compass serves as a guide to keep us on track and ensures we're heading in the right direction towards our vision of the world we want tomorrow.

No matter the visible or invisible differences, we have long-been committed to fostering an environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to reach their full potential.

Our global leadership team is responsible for building on our storied history while setting the vision for our path forward.

For more than five generations, Mars has evolved to create products and services that people (and their pets) love.

Every day is an opportunity to take action to create the world we want tomorrow. Our policies and practices are what help shape that future, and they're non-negotiable.

For generations, families and their four-legged friends have enjoyed our brands, products and services.

Pet nutrition, health, & veterinary services to make a better world for pets.

Some of the world’s most beloved snacks and treats that inspire moments of everyday happiness.

Healthy, tasty food that is part of consumer's daily lives.

We’re committed to helping create a safe, healthy and sustainable world for our partners and the communities in which we operate.

View progress & impact report

• Climate Action
• Water Stewardship
• Rethinking Packaging
• Increasing Income
• Respecting Human Rights
• Full Potential for Women
• Our Workplaces
• Our Marketplace
• Our Supply Chain
• Pulp & paper

See how our Associates are creating a better world tomorrow in our latest stories, news and press releases from around the globe.

• Corporate News
• News from Our Brands
• Sustainability
• Inclusion & Diversity
• Innovation & Technology
• Health & Wellbeing
• Science & Research
• Community Impact
• Perspectives
• Press Releases and Statements
• Media Inquiries
• Careers (Opens a new window)

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Mars Sustainability Plan

Building a sustainable future.

We are a global business of people and brands with a clear purpose. We believe the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. It is the vision at the heart of our Sustainable in a Generation Plan - one where the planet is healthy, people and pets are thriving, and society is inclusive.

With the increasing impacts of climate change, the pandemic and social injustice, we are as committed as ever to the critical actions needed to tackle the environmental and societal threats we face through science-based actions and in support of the UN’s  Sustainable Development Goals (Opens a new window) . We are transforming the way we work – from how we source raw materials like palm oil and cocoa, to how we fish the oceans for our pet food ingredients – to ensure every part of our operations and extended supply chains help people and the planet thrive.

At the same time, we recognize that fixing these issues is a generational challenge, which is why we are building lasting partnerships with NGOs, governments and industry, to help transform the systems that have made issues like climate change or limited incomes for smallholder farmers so pervasive and intractable.

This is a critical moment and we are working to ensure that Mars is a positive force in the world for years to come.

Our plan is built on what is RIGHT, not what is easy—it is science-based and in support of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Our sustainable in a generation plan.

Since we launched the multi-billion dollar Mars Sustainable in a Generation Plan in 2017, we have made progress to transform how we do business. We’re working to improve the lives of people in communities where we source materials, as well as the lives of our Associates, customers and pets. Facing unprecedented challenges created during the COVID-19 pandemic, our Associates and business quickly shifted to new ways of working toward our ambitious, science-based goals.

How we’re reducing our environmental footprint

Featured News

Mars publishes "accelerated, affordable and achievable" Net Zero Roadmap to cut...

Healthy Planet

To keep the planet healthy for people and nature, Mars follows a data-driven, scientific approach to reduce our environmental impact. Our efforts include a 2050 net zero emissions commitment, expanding our use of renewable energy, helping farmers cut water use while increasing crop yield, working to eliminate deforestation and evolving our product packaging to support a circular economy. 

How we support individuals’ rights and livelihoods

Featured Story

Thriving People - COVID

Thriving People

Our business, Associates and the communities where we operate will thrive for generations to come only if we help the millions of people who contribute to our success thrive as well. We are committed to respecting human rights throughout our value chain, starting with areas where we have the most influence, and where we can have the greatest impact on people’s rights, opportunities and livelihoods via multiple programs and with key partners.

How we help people and their pets lead healthier lives

Nourishing Wellbeing - GFSC

Nourishing Wellbeing

Good nutrition, health and wellbeing are essential for billions of people and pets around the world to lead happier, healthier lives. These things are also key to our growth. We use our global reach to support the wellness of Mars Associates, enhance our products’ quality and nutrition, and provide more people around the world with access to healthy meals.

We’re accelerating our efforts to stop deforestation

Our supply chain actions.

We’re focusing on key high-risk supply chains to tackle deforestation and meet the big challenges that require bold action. For example, we have created a deforestation-free palm supply chain by reducing our mill partners to fewer than 100 instead of 1,500. We’re also improving traceability and empowering farmers to find more sustainable methods for growing cocoa, which is essential to our beloved chocolate brands. We have expanded our coverage of child labor monitoring and remediation systems in our cocoa supply chain, and we’re the first chocolate company to support the Living Income Differential (LID) fee enacted by Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. We have consistently purchased cocoa with the LID to support farmers while urging others to do the same. We also support traceability of the cocoa supply chain so that we can work toward fairer compensation for smallholder cocoa farmers.

Cocoa for Generations

Deforestation Action Overview

More about our sustainability plan

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MARS: Balancing profit and purpose in the planning process

Author: Finance for the Future

Published: 20 Dec 2021

• Highly Commended: Embedding an integrated approach

Mars, Incorporated, a family-owned consumer goods company, has set out its strategic objectives in the Mars Compass. The Compass is split into four quadrants:

• Strong financial performance
• Quality growth
• Positive societal impact
• Trusted partner

The first two quadrants capture the financial dimensions of the strategy. The second two quadrants are non-financial, reflecting the company’s Sustainable in a Generation Plan and other ESG commitments. The Sustainable in a Generation Plan includes targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve the working lives of a million people in the supply chain and support consumer wellbeing. Under the plan, which was launched in 2017, Mars will invest US$1 billion in sustainability initiatives.

A three-year integrated value creation plan (IVCP) process brings the Compass into business planning for all Mars segments and business units. The IVCP covers each business unit’s strategic ambition, transformation initiatives and portfolio of investments. The process is led by the strategy and financial planning and analysis (FP&A) teams – both part of the finance function.

Finance has led the work of integrating sustainability priorities into the IVCP process, applying focus and rigour to internal planning discussions and helping business units to balance trade-offs between financial and sustainability objectives.

The judging panel was particularly impressed with Mars’s integration of the strategy and finance functions with a clear emphasis on their integrated value creation plan and how this was embedded at both group level and in business units. Finance for the Future Awards judges

Purpose is a driving force of Mars’s strategy and decision making. At the heart of the Compass is the company’s core belief, that ‘the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today’. This means thinking long-term and holistically about how Mars creates value. For Mars, both profit and purpose are integral elements of business.

As sustainability has emerged as a key priority for businesses and consumers alike, Mars considers its approach vital for de-risking the company, becoming more financially sustainable and staying relevant for new generations of consumers. And with the US$1 billion investment in the Sustainable in a Generation Plan, the company’s goal is to create transformational change rather than incremental improvement.

Creating a three-year IVCP process means that Mars can plan on a longer timeframe that is better suited to its sustainability priorities. This was designed to move the company away from a one-year planning cycle that prioritises short-term financial performance and growth, towards delivering on all four quadrants of the Compass.

At a company like ours, we think it’s important to recognise that purpose without profit isn’t possible. But profit without purpose is quite meaningless. So a business must pursue both. Bruno Lestrat, VP Finance Transformation, Mars

Finance has provided vital support for embedding the Compass in the business:

• Strategy and FP&A teams are part of the finance function, both at group level and in the business units. This structure has helped to make sure that planning frameworks and processes reflect the company’s long-term strategic priorities and financial rigour is applied throughout.
• The four quadrants of the Compass provide a balance between financial and nonfinancial strategic priorities. This has enabled the company to take a longer-term view, accepting lower short-term returns in the finance-focused quadrants to make sure the company can deliver on its Sustainable in a Generation Plan. Remuneration for the top 300 company executives is linked to Compass KPIs – financial and nonfinancial.
• The IVCP brings the Compass to life throughout the business and drives business plans across all segments and brands. Planning discussions focus on sustainability goals as well as financial performance, including how Mars can invest in more sustainable, resilient supply chains and take advantage of new opportunities. Through the IVCP process, targets are set for each Compass quadrant.
• Before the IVCP numbers are finalised, formal IVCP reviews take place with each of the global segments. Any trade-offs are identified and consciously resolved in these meetings. Once the IVCP is in place, the CEO and the functional heads of the business units review the plan every quarter.
• Mars uses methods such as carbon-adjusted cost calculations to bring together sustainability and financial priorities in day-to-day decision making. This helps managers to act with a fuller understanding of relevant considerations, so that ultimately the company will be in a better position to meet its IVCP targets.
• Finance business partners play a key role in supporting staff to take account of a range of factors when making purchasing and other business decisions. As well as carbon-adjusted costs, this could include other sustainability considerations, such as water usage. This adjusted cost is an understandable measure that staff can use to compare different options and make decisions that are more closely aligned with the IVCP – and so the strategic priorities of the Compass.

Mars is a consumer goods company based in the US. Its strategic objectives are set out in the Mars Compass, which balances profit and purpose across four dimensions. Two are financial (strong financial performance and quality growth) and two are non-financial (positive societal impact and being a trusted partner). A three-year Integrated Value Creation Plan, reviewed quarterly, sets out how all areas of the company will deliver on each Compass area. The finance team played a major role in embedding sustainability priorities into the planning process. The company’s balanced approach to business has resulted in a deforestation-free palm oil supply chain.

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Here at Mars, there’s always a story to tell. From our pet hospitals to farmers in our supply chain, new tales are unfolding every day. Dig into our stories and discover why so many of us are proud to be part of the Mars family!

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Associates at Mars are everyday heroes. We are united through our inspiring purpose. Our global family and the common bond we share is beyond any other. We all take pride in our unique way of doing business and empower every Associate to learn, expand

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At Mars, we are committed to helping create a safe, healthy and sustainable world for our partners and the communities in which we operate.

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Mars Associates are doing big things, as well as making great products that people love to talk about. Read more about Mars in the headlines by visiting our stories. Find the latest news stories, press releases, and more from our family all around the wor

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Mars has been proudly family owned for over 100 years. It’s this independence that gives us the gift of freedom to think in generations, not quarters, so we can invest in the long-term future of our business, our people and the planet — all guided by our enduring Principles.

We believe the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. Our bold ambitions must be matched with actions today from our 140,000+ Associates in 80 countries around the world. Some of our current initiatives are:

• Investing $1 billion over the next several years to become  sustainable in a generation  
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Every day we are one step closer to the world we want tomorrow, through our steadfast commitment to action today.

Mars in Central Europe    

Mars entered the Slovak market in 1992. The Slovak market is since 2016 organized under the roof of Mars Multisales Central Europe, connecting Czech, Slovak, Hungarian and Romanian markets. With 540 employees (called Associates), the organization operates in three categories today: confectionery (chocolate, gum & confections), food (rice and sauces) and pet nutrition.

In addition to this, Mars runs in region two of its biggest factories in segments, including a factory in Csongrád-Bokros Hungary, producing dry pet food and treats, and also a non-chocolate confections production facility including Mars’ confectionery development center in Poříčí nad Sázavou in the Czech Republic. 

Porici nad Sazavou Site

Since 1998 one of the biggest Mars non-chocolate confections production facility and since 2001 also confectionery development centre is located in Poříčí nad Sázavou, in the Czech Republic. The overall capacity of all production lines is 55,000 tonnes per year. Besides other famous confectionery products, every year more than 500 Associates produce up to 29,000 tonnes of Skittles® chewy candies, which are distributed to Czech Republic, Slovakia and more than 52 other markets in Europe and beyond, mostly Middle East and Africa.

Bokros Site

Mars production facility in Hungary – Magyarország Kisállateledelgyártó Kft. in Csongrád-Bokros employs 800 Associates  producing 150 thousand tons of pet food for 25 markets in Europe and worldwide every year.

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