Our story
In 1997, Mars launched its Ombudsman Program to establish an alternative channel of communication for Associates to discuss any work-related ma er. Only a handful of companies had an Ombudsman resource in place at that time, so our program was built from the ground up, around the Associate Concept and The Five Principles.
Victoria Mars was our first Corporate Ombudsman, and she served in that capacity until 2014. The role was a natural fit because she believes Associates are the pride of the business and their wellbeing in the workplace should be a top priority. To ensure Mars remains a great place to work, she built a strong team around her to provide a safe environment for Associates to seek guidance and support, regardless of their segment, tenure or location.
Mars’ Ombudsman Program has been a trusted resource for Associates for over twenty years and is considered best-in-class within the International Ombudsman Association community. Today, the Program is supported by seven Regional Ombudsman who report to our Corporate Ombudsman, Debby Hyde, and collectively have over 180 years of Mars experience.
We speak English, French, German, Dutch, Hungarian, Spanish, Arabic, Portonol, Russian and Mandarin, and can communicate with nearly 90% of our Associate base through these eight languages. We also have the support of translation services, which enables us to connect with Associates in several additional languages.
Our services are available 24/7, so if you need to talk, we’re here to listen!