Mars New Zealand has appointed Emily Dowling to the role of General Manager, as Pete Simmons departs after 16 years with the company. In the position, she will oversee the growth and development of the Mars Petcare, Mars Snacking and Mars Food portfolios. This includes customer favourites of Whiskas, M&M’s, and Masterfoods while also driving the company’s purpose: a better world starts with how we do business today.
Simmons spent five years as Mars New Zealand General Manager, during which time he led a program to refocus the business on growth priorities, partner with customers across the different channels, establish digital commerce in the business, and develop a strong talent offer - all whilst navigating Covid. Simmons has been a proud Mars employee, a passionate believer in its culture and leaves behind an impressive legacy. He has been supporting Emily with a smooth transition and will depart the business on January 30th this year.
“Emily’s blend of commercial creativity and purpose-driven leadership will put her in great stead in New Zealand. She has an exceptional record in partnering with customers for growth and driving the distinctiveness of our brands, and I look forward to seeing her impact on the New Zealand market,” said Deri Watkins, Europe Regional President Mars Petcare.
Dowling has over 18 years of experience in FMCG, working across Australia and Europe. She joins the New Zealand team from Mars Petcare Australia, where she has served as Marketing Director since 2018. During her tenure, she led the launch of Temptations, developed Mars Australia’s first direct-to consumer online store for the Advance brand and engineered the first consumer promotion for The Lion’s Share fundraising initiative. In 2021 she was recognised as one of the top 50 Chief Marketing Officers in Australia.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Mars New Zealand. The team here has always had an outsized impact on Mars’ business globally, particularly on the creative side with truly ground-breaking campaigns like My Hooman, our pet adoption platform. They’ve also demonstrated best-in-class agility in managing supply chain challenges in recent years, and I’m committed to driving that consistency for our retail partners and consumers,” said Dowling.
