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2026 Virginia Power 50 List: POUL WEIHRAUCH
PRESIDENT AND CEO, MARS, McLEAN
Virginia Business //March 1, 2026//
2026 Virginia Power 50 List: POUL WEIHRAUCH
PRESIDENT AND CEO, MARS, McLEAN
Virginia Business //March 1, 2026//
Since taking the reins at the candy and pet food giant in 2022, Weihrauch has been aiming to double its sales by 2033. In late 2025, Mars made a big move in reaching that goal, closing its $36 billion acquisition of Kellanova, which produces Cheez-Its, Pringles and other snacks. Now they’re under the Mars Snacking umbrella. Announced in 2024, the acquisition was delayed until December 2025 due to a 90-day probe of the deal by the European Union’s antitrust watchdog agency.
In July 2025, Mars announced it would invest $2 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations by 2027. It also launched a $250 million innovation fund focused on sustainability in the food industry.
Weihrauch, who joined Mars in 2000, has degrees from Denmark’s Aalborg University and Scotland’s Strathclyde Business School. He serves on Henkel AG & Co.’s shareholders committee and The Consumer Goods Forum’s board.
