LEADERSHIP HALL OF FAME PROFILE: MARS MENTOR ANGELA MANGIAPANE

By: Sandy Frinton, PULSE Editor

GBS Leader Lives the Company’s Values

When talking to Angela Mangiapane, a few things are immediately clear. She loves the Mars brands, values and people. And while she’s a mentor to many rising women, she is equally as inspired by today’s generation of young leaders.

As the president of Mars Global Services, Mangiapane is focused on building a better tomorrow by creating value for Mars through unique skills, scale and technology while also giving back.  

For her many contributions to the industry and society, Mangiapane was inducted into the prestigious IAOP Leadership Hall of Fame at OWS21.

“Angela models the leaders we want to be, the leaders we want to be inspired by and the leaders we want to follow,” said Atul Vashistha, COP, Founder, Neo Group and Supply Wisdom, Leadership Hall of Fame member and Vice-Chair of IAOP’s Strategic Advisory Board.  

In accepting the award, she called the current environment, a “VUCA (Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) world on steroids” and said she especially values the Mars team during these times.

“After over 30 years of being with this business, I realize the reason I still get so energized is the people at Mars,” she said. “Their dedication, energy and can-do attitude over the past 12 months with the uncertainty of COVID has given me a lot of optimism and hope.”

“What gives me strength is the sheer wonderful people that I’m able to work with – whether that’s inside Mars, outside with our third-party partners or with my own peer group.”

Curious Learner

Originally from Canada, Mangiapane serendipitously found her way to Mars when she was recruited for a position that combined her background in finance and operations at Effem Foods, the Canadian division of the company named after founder Frank, his wife Ethel, and their son Forrest E. Mars. She thought the position filling a maternity leave would be temporary but it became so much more.  

She found she loved the brands – that include M&M’s®, Milky Way®, Twix® and Skittles® – because of their quality and the fact that they “make the world smile.”

Mangiapane also passionately believes in the company’s five principles of: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and (financial) Freedom.

Over the years, she raised her hand as opportunities arose for diverse and broad financial and talent leadership roles spanning business segments and geographies. Embracing the risks, Mangiapane says she feels fortunate to have been blessed with the support of many mentors along the way.

“If you are inclined, there are enormous possibilities at Mars,” she says. “I learned from mistakes and continued to explore. I never wanted to be defined by how others defined me.”

New World

In her current role, Mangiapane is spearheading the transformation of Mars Global Services (externally known as Global Business Services or GBS) to increase efficiency, effectiveness and experience across finance, digital technologies, commercial, laboratories, people and organization (HR), and consumer insights, all increasing digital acumen of the company’s Associates (employees).

While challenging, the COVID crisis has created opportunities to do things differently and accelerate GBS initiatives. Mangiapane is recognized as an innovator who has moved her GBS organization in stages from discrete process ownership to end-to-end and is now moving to experience management.

“At Mars, we had a reset a few years back,” she said. “Now as we head into 2021, we have a great opportunity to really leverage the model for the rest of the business.   I believe the GBS organization for us is at this inflection point and it is going to go beyond delivering on the economic value model to encompassing the Mars purpose of ‘the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today.’”

Mangiapane believes in creating opportunities for diversity and inclusion. With women representing half of consumers, she values the different perspectives and options women bring to solving problems. She is inspired by the strong women leaders and young Associates at Mars and in the Mars family who represent the next-generation of leadership. 

Unlike some who may believe that young people need to pay their dues to get to higher positions, Mangiapane is there to share the lessons she’s already learned, support talented individuals and raise them up with the attitude of “get on my shoulders, so you can do more.”

Being recognized for her life work is humbling and a recognition she never sought. “I was not waiting for accolades,” she says. “I do what I do because it’s my responsibility and obligation to give back. I want to pay it forward.”

Mangiapane also said that the peer network at IAOP has been a motivating force and she has enjoyed knowing and working with other members of the Hall of Fame over the years.

“I’ve always found our peers in IAOP to be a great source of inspiration to share ideas, best practices, and learn across different industries,” she said. “This award is a tremendous honor.”  

At-a-Glance: Angela Mangiapane

Current Role: President, Mars Global Solutions

Past Positions: Over her 31 years at Mars, also has held positions of Vice President of Global Human Resources for Mars Global Chocolate, Global Head of HR for Royal Canin, and Vice President People & Organization for Mars Drinks.

Her Advice to Today’s Rising Leaders: Never have others define who you are.  Only you can do that. 

Role Models: Her parents and specifically her mother who came to America from Italy with a third-grade education and instilled in her that obtaining an education and hard work would open doors to any path she wanted to take.

Interests: An avid theatre enthusiast, she is a member of the recently restored Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Giving Back: Gives of her time and talents to mentor young women inside and outside Mars. Supports the Kalinga Fellowship mission that facilitates a transformational leadership model to end sexual violence against women and children globally.