PureCycle adds to board of directors

PureCycle Technologies Inc., an advanced recycler based in Orlando, Florida, has appointed Valerie Mars to its board of directors, effective Jan. 1. 

Mars previously served as senior vice president and head of corporate development at Mars Inc., a global food product manufacturer. She is a fourth-generation member of the Mars family, which founded Mars Inc. in 1911.  

“Valerie Mars has been a strong advocate for sustainable business practices and, along with her generation of family members, helped drive initiatives within Mars like their ‘Sustainable in a Generation’ plan,” says PureCycle CEO Dustin Olson. “This initiative is helping reduce the company’s use of virgin plastics and reduce their carbon footprint. Her desire to drive sustainability and familiarity with scaling business operations perfectly aligns with PureCycle’s core mission.”  

RELATED: PureCycle highlights ‘continued growth’ in Q3 

She joined Mars in 1992 and spent more than three decades in the company before retiring at the end of 2024. Mars received her bachelor’s degree from Yale University and earned a master’s degree at Columbia Business School. 

“I’ve been a lifelong advocate for advancing noble causes, and it’s great to have the opportunity to serve the mission of this company,” Mars says. “It was great to witness sustainability in action at the Ironton Facility and to see how this innovative technology can give curbside waste a new life. As a champion of sustainability, I look forward to helping guide PureCycle into the next phase of their growth.”