My Job: Siobhan McAuley on sweet giant Mars' move into health and wellness  

Social media is key to driving the growing consumer interest in healthy brands, says the food giant's Ireland market head

Siobhan McAuley, interim market head, Ireland, Mars Health & Wellness division.

Name: Siobhan McAuley

Occupation: Interim market head, Ireland, Mars Health & Wellness division

Background: Global food producer growing its sustainably sourced healthy snack options across wellness-oriented brands Trü Frü, KIND and Nature’s Bakery

Siobhan McAuley is responsible for driving the growth of Mars’ Health & Wellness portfolio in Ireland. 

Having joined the company in 2021, she has progressed through a number of commercial roles, most recently serving as national account manager, leading the launch of Trü Frü, a product which went on to win Tesco’s best new product launch of the year 2025. 

“This is a really exciting time for the Mars Health & Wellness division for a number of different reasons, including KIND becoming an established brand here in Ireland with a lot of love from consumers, but there is still so much opportunity,” she explains. 

“As people are thinking more carefully about what they eat, a growing trend for many years, KIND is perfectly positioned as a nutritious choice, and people are actively buying into the brand. Because these brands are relatively new in the market, Mars wants to create a real start-up mentality, and we’ve been given the space and resource to do that — my team show real entrepreneurial spirit every single day, and you can see the results in shops around the country.” 

The success of brands KIND and Trü Frü reflect a changing outlook in the health and wellness sector, a marketplace where consumer habits are constantly evolving. 

“Mars has adapted to shifts in tastes and diets for over 100 years, and the launch of KIND and Tru Frü are testament to that. While consumers have always had an eye on health, the rapid growth of KIND and Trü Frü tells us two things — consumers are hyper-focused on functional nutrition, and if you don’t appeal to Gen Zs you will probably be left behind. KIND already has an innovation pipeline that suits these trends, and we are tailoring our products to be functional as well as tasty.” 

The popularity of Trü Frü in Ireland can be heavily attributed to the brand’s viral success online, and loyal following on TikTok and Instagram: “We use these social media platforms to drive engagement in the brand at a local level, creating content that resonates with young people. Many of our posts have gone viral, and we are genuinely seeing that if we post something engaging online, it drives people into stores.” 

McAuley expects brands to continue to respond to increasing interest in healthier, more convenient food options. 

“This demand for a healthier, more convenient food option is no longer a trend, it is here to stay, and we have a responsibility to ensure we have options for consumers. The longer-term strategy that I have seen has this top of mind because ultimately we want to evolve alongside and, where possible, ahead of the changing demand. 

People are leading busier lives in addition to being more health conscious and convenience is key that brands must react to or lose consumers.

McAuley says operating in an attention-deficit environment against a record number of brands is a challenge Mars Health & Wellness has risen to. 

“We have leaned into short-form marketing content to proactively engage with people where they are — and they are chronically online, scrolling through five- and 10-second videos on TikTok. Competing for airtime online is an ever-moving goal post, but more than anywhere I have ever worked, the Health & Wellness division in Mars is up for the challenge. We are actively building campaigns and in-store promotions with a real focus to online engagement that will drive people in store.” 

The proliferation of brands in Ireland is a challenge, she agrees, specifically in the healthier snacking segment: “There is constant innovation and new brands which are great for consumers and the category. 

"In this industry, there is constant product innovation to keep giving consumers interesting choices in the brands they love. M&Ms and Maltesers are such powerhouse brands in Ireland, but they can’t just sit still — be it through new flavours, amazing partnerships or making cultural moments bigger. Working with these brands taught me how to really make a splash with a new product.” 

As Mars is the home of global household brands, the intention for KIND and Trü Frü is no different: “We need to be in as many stores as possible across the country, and we have a team of experts visiting shops every single day to help store managers stock and merchandise our brands. 

"We need to be chronically online, and we have a Gen Z social media guru navigating the constant online chatter to keep us relevant. Having the right people internally and the right relationships externally has been something I’ve learnt from my previous job.”

Prior to joining Mars Ireland in 2021, McAuley worked in publishing with Hachette UK and DK Publishing, a different industry but with a similar focus on consumer demands. 

“The main thing I have taken with me from previous jobs in different industries is that, at the end of the day, we all have consumers at the heart of our businesses. This mindset helps me reassess the situation when nothing seems to be going right. Be it books, chocolate or frozen treats, there will be constant challenges and struggles — as long we act with the shopper in mind, we can’t go too far wrong. 

"Above everything, throughout my career it has been the relationships I have built internally and externally that has made the difference in a negotiation or in a conversation.” 

Relationships open more doors than CVs, she concludes: “In a world of online meetings, make time to connect in person, give someone a phone call over sending an email, or chat at the coffee machine rather than rushing back to your desk. 

"I had no idea how important the concept of sponsorship was until I realised that it was the strength of my relationships that had opened doors for me. I still had to walk through them and show up, but the door being opened for me was a massive win.”