Scaling Iconic Brands, Purposefully
September 2025
A Conversation With Tiana Conley
Economics of Mutuality Practitioner Stories
Tiana Conley has charted a path defined not by profit margins alone but by purpose that propels lasting impact. After nearly four years at Mars—where she led the global chocolate portfolio encompassing iconic brands like Snickers, Twix, and Dove/Galaxy—she recently transitioned into a new role as Vice President of the Mars Corporate Brand and Purpose.
Tiana’s focus today is on embedding purpose throughout her work and, reflecting on her career so far, she shares that mutuality was always a driving force: “I can trace much of that journey to my experience with the Economics of Mutuality program, Leading With Purpose.”
Rethinking the Numbers When Leading Change
For Tiana, one of the most powerful shifts has come from how she thinks about accounting and value. “The stickiest insight from the Leading With Purpose program was this provocation to reimagine accounting… we take numbers as facts. But if you think about what accounting principles are, it’s really an agreement about how we’re going to reflect value.”
This perspective challenged her to see beyond financial metrics and reimagine how to truly reflect the full value chain, whether that’s positive societal impact, environmental impact, but also the opposite of that—and reflect it in the bottom line.
This mindset translated directly into Tiana’s work leading the Galaxy brand. She described the assignment as a pivotal moment: “I was working to drive a transformation on the Galaxy brand to create a transition from a traditional brand to a purpose-led brand.” The process was more than a marketing exercise. “That really gave me the space to think about it in a different way, and introduce some different frameworks as part of the transformation.”
In reimagining Galaxy, Tiana began to see how a global confectionery brand could stand for more than indulgence. It could reflect values that matter to people, creating relevance and resilience in the marketplace.
A New Career Trajectory
This shift also changed how Tiana viewed her own leadership. “It’s given me more of a structure to lean into purpose in my work,” she reflects. This new mindset opened a different trajectory for her career, and allowed her to evolve in a way that is deeply meaningful. “It’s been a really important personal value to drive purpose and positive impact. And that’s always been inherent to who I am.”
She also points to the culture at Mars as a driving force. “I’ve come into an organization that really feels like we should be thinking about the impact we’re going to have in the world, on society, through our products and the markets in which we operate. And there is an encouragement to really lean into purpose as a foundation of your work here.”
Ultimately, Tiana sees purpose not as an optional add-on, but as essential to long-term success. For her, it must be both visionary and practical. Driving meaningful work requires actionable frameworks and knowledge, alongside a community of peers to share the journey with—elements she found through the Leading With Purpose program.
Looking Forward
As she looks to the future, Tiana carries a conviction that has only grown stronger: that business must reflect the full scope of value it creates and consumes. For her, leadership is about aligning commercial growth with cultural relevance and positive societal impact. That belief has become her compass—guiding both her career and the brands she leads toward a more meaningful future.
Are you a leader with a deep conviction that business should be a force for good? Our Leading With Purpose executive education program could for you.
Delivered online over 9-weeks, the course is grounded in the practical Economics of Mutuality operating model, which has been developed with leading companies and universities including Mars and Oxford University’s Saïd Business School.
Since its inception, it has helped over 500 senior business leaders and investors integrate social and environmental impact into their core business strategy.
Program dates: October 1 – December 3
