Updating Results

Mars Australia

4.0
  • > 100,000 employees

Laura Mensa

At Mars, we're continually encouraged to follow our passions.

Laura posing with M&M

5.00 AM

The alarm goes off. Time to get out of bed, pop my gym clothes on and sleepily head off to the gym.

5.15 AM

My everyday early morning routine consists of an F45 session in the morning to wake the body and mind. This helps me get ready for the day ahead and makes sure I’m all set for a big day of work ahead. 

6.52 AM

After a good cardio session, I get ready, have a healthy breakfast and set on my way to the train station, I have to get in early to score a carpark and a seat on the train. If I do get a seat, I start going through my e-mails or catch-up on my personal life. I put my headphones in, put on my favourite 80’s playlist and settle in for the short 30-minute commute. 

7.30 AM

After a quick walk from the station, I arrive at the grand Collins Square – a group of 5 towers that houses our two-storey office. I make my way up, put my lunch in the fridge and head to my desk which has a stunning view of the city, extending out as far as the bay. I settle in, review my emails, check my calendar and get set for the day.

Laura on her desk

8.30 AM

My first meeting of the day is our team Activity Review Meeting which is where we review the upcoming new product launches. This is key to driving innovation with our customers and the sharing the knowledge we need to ensure successful activations in-store. It’s also really exciting to get a sneak peek of the possible chocolate & confectionary innovation we have in the pipeline!

Laura presenting at a Team Activity Review Meeting

10.30 AM

Being a Monday, we need to report to management on our trade expenditure for our end of period sales number. I work with the account managers in my team to determine any savings or overspend. This requires working with our systems to check the sales within our customer from last week. This will then be reported at our team meeting in the afternoon.

Laura on a huddle with account managers.

11.00 AM

Today is one of the biggest activations of the year – Skittles Sweet Heat! It’s a really exciting event - with one problem - the Victorian field team have advised us that none of their stock has arrived in-store. Understandably the team are all feeling pretty worried so I quickly reach out to my some of my connections to get a better understanding of the situation. It turns out to be a logistics issue that’s caused the lack of stock. It’s a stressful environment to navigate given many teams have high stakes in delivering this project. I know I need to ensure that the internal customer team is understanding and the field team are equipped to move forward. 

To manage the situation, I call together a team huddle with key stakeholders including supply, customer service, sales and marketing to work through an interim solution. We decide to keep the current store space to display alternative products, whilst working with customer to ensure a smooth transition of the new Skittles Sweet Heat stock into store as quickly as possible. The biggest challenge for me is managing the field teams’ expectations and as the conduit I often feel the impact of these tension points. I call an online meeting with all of the field heads nationally to discuss the plan, secure understanding and get them to disseminate the information nationally. Naturally, there is some frustration but everyone understands that we were working diligently to resolve the problem. Through this challenge, I learn the importance of being across each activation within our account, along with the importance of networking and having the correct contacts to overcome this situation.

Laura during an online meeting with national field heads

Noon

I use lunchtime as an opportunity to head out of the office, go for a walk and get some air. It’s also a perfect excuse to find a nice spot out in the sun for lunch. A few of my fellow associates will join me on a walk weekly, which is also a great excuse for a catch-up! 

1.00 PM

I arrive back in the office and head to a strategy meeting with the Online Customer Development Lead. We are prepping for my first ever customer meeting tomorrow. Its both exciting and nerve-racking but with the support of my colleagues, I feel well prepared. We go through what’s trending in the category at present as well as reviewing both the Mars and the customer’s strategy, ensuring a mutual and collaborative approach. Finally, we go over the PowerPoint deck and the finer points – first impressions always count! 

Laura in a strategy meeting with the Online Customer Development Lead

2.30 PM

At Mars, we're continually encouraged to follow our passions. A great opportunity for me to do this is the local Health & Wellbeing Committee that I head up alongside a fellow associate. Today we are going through our committee strategy and the calendar of activities for the year. This strategy plays into our new global wellbeing initiative called “Be Well”, which incorporates the belief that all associates should have a workplace where they can be healthy and thrive. We assign initiatives in this meeting to each associate and begin planning the activities. This year, I’ll be running Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea and organising Breast Cancer Awareness week. We agree to meet next fortnight to solidify our strategy.

Laura's fun shot

3.30 PM

Finally back at my desk after a jam-packed day of meetings, I use this time to catch up on my emails and any ad-hoc requests from the team. The gum account manager has asked me to look into our promotional planning for the year to ensure all our promotions and funding are in the portal. Once completed, I send off to the team. 

5.00 PM

With everything done for the day, I scan out of the building and head to the station. On the commute home I make sure to switch off and get that elusive work-life balance.

Laura with dog

6.00 PM

I arrive home where I pull on my hiking boots & get ready to go for a walk in preparation for my trek to Everest Base camp!  Getting out and going for a walk is also a perfect way to wind down. 

8.00 PM

When I get home, I have dinner and put on the TV. I begin to pack and prepare for the next day. I need to be up early tomorrow for a flight to Sydney for my customer meeting – I am so excited! Best to get to bed for an early night.