Forrest E. Mars, Jr., Businessman and Philanthropist, Passes Away at 84

MCLEAN, Virginia, July 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

With sadness, and on behalf of all Associates, Mars, Incorporated announced that Forrest E. Mars, Jr. passed away at the age of 84 on July 26, 2016.  Mr Mars was:

• A businessman, who together with his brother John and sister Jacqueline, inherited a significant business and grew it into one of the world's largest and most respected family firms, increasing its sales from from $1 billion to $35 billion, and providing 80 thousand jobs worldwide for Associates in 78 countries.
  
• A passionate believer in the benefits of a global economy for everyone, devoting much of his and his brothers working life to building Mars internationally, expanding its presence first in Europe, Australia, Japan, and then in countries like Russia, China, Mexico and Brazil and the Middle East.
  
• A visionary, who codified, together with his brother and sister, the strong set of business values about creating a mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders of Mars, Incorporated, which they inherited from their father, into the Five Principles that guide the business worldwide, a constitution for the company that has made it a positive force in the world.
  
• A leading philanthropist, locally and internationally, supporting environmental preservation projects, like the American Prairie Reserve, and numerous projects in support of American history, such as the Brinton Museum of Western and American Indian Art in Big Horn, Wyoming, or the Mars Hall of American Business at the American History Museum.
  
• An explorer, who loved adventuring in his expedition ship in some of the wildest places in the globe, including navigating the North West passage, while also sponsoring and often joining an annual trip for students from Hotchkiss, his old school, to Antarctica.
• An intensely private family man, who leaves a wife, four children, eleven grandchildren, two great grandchildren, numerous other extended family members, and a legacy as a man who insisted repeatedly that everyone's work should be fun and meaningful.

"Forrest was a great inspiration to all of us at Mars, Incorporated," said Grant F. Reid, CEO and Office of the President for Mars, Incorporated. "He was instrumental in building our business, while remaining committed to the founding principles of the Company. Forrest will be sorely missed, but his contributions and the legacy he leaves behind at Mars will be long-lasting."