A retired global sourcing leader reflects on 35 years at Mars, sharing transformative lessons about people-centered leadership, trust-building, and the true measure of success beyond financial metrics.
Her Story
About Anne-Marie
Anne-Marie DeLorenzo is a global supply chain executive, agricultural commodities expert, and board director with more than three decades of experience in agricultural procurement and strategic sourcing. She spent 35 years with Mars, Inc., including 15 years from 2010 to 2025 as a peanut buyer, where she led the adoption of a high-oleic peanut variety that now represents approximately 50 percent of the U.S. peanut crop. Earlier in her career, she managed dairy commodities, including milk powders, fats, and whey proteins, as well as sugar, grains such as corn, soybeans, wheat, and oats, fruits, flavors, and colors. She earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and developed extensive expertise in global sourcing, commodity risk management, supplier relationships, and commercial strategy.
Following her retirement from Mars in 2025, DeLorenzo established AMD Strategic Solutions, LLC, where she works as a consultant to help organizations navigate commodity market volatility, strengthen supply chain resilience, optimize sourcing strategies, and build effective supplier partnerships. She also develops and delivers industry training and executive education programs covering agricultural supply chains, procurement fundamentals, negotiation, commercial strategy, and ethical decision-making. In addition, she serves on the Advisory Board for Seton Hall University's Stillman School of Business Customer Experience Certificate Program and has completed professional development courses through LinkedIn. Her consulting work draws on decades of practical experience managing complex agricultural commodity portfolios and advancing strategic initiatives across global markets.
DeLorenzo has made significant contributions to the agricultural industry through her longstanding involvement with the American Peanut Council, serving on its Board of Directors from 2011 to 2024 and subsequently as Chairwoman in 2025. Her leadership helped strengthen collaboration among growers, suppliers, and industry stakeholders while advancing innovation in peanut sourcing. Her accomplishments have been recognized through induction into the Peanut Hall of Fame in 2025, an award from the American Peanut Shellers Association, the Mars Global Make A Difference Award in 2019, and recognition from Procurement Leaders for external collaboration. Beyond her industry commitments, she serves on the board of the Thalian Hall Association, supporting community theater and the performing arts. Through her consulting, board service, and industry leadership, DeLorenzo continues to promote sustainable sourcing, effective governance, and long-term value creation across agricultural supply chains.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Anne-Marie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to more than 30 years of experience in agricultural procurement, continuous learning, and a willingness to take on new challenges throughout my career. During my 35 years at Mars, Inc., I progressed from sourcing fruits, flavors, and colors to managing dairy products, grains, sugar, and ultimately peanuts, where I spent the last 15 years helping transform the U.S. peanut industry. My Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix provided a strong foundation for my professional growth, while my involvement with Seton Hall University's Stillman School of Business Customer Experience Certificate Program as an advisory board member continues to broaden my perspective. After retiring from Mars in 2025, I established my own consulting business, allowing me to share my industry knowledge and experience with organizations seeking to strengthen their sourcing strategies and supply chains.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received came through the guidance and example of exceptional mentors, including Marianne Gregoletti, Frank Mars, and Grant Reid, who played influential roles in my professional development. They taught me the importance of staying open to learning, building strong relationships, embracing challenges, and making meaningful contributions to my industry. Their support reinforced the value of perseverance, integrity, and being willing to take on opportunities that push you beyond your comfort zone. Throughout my career, these lessons helped me grow as a leader and contribute to the transformation of the U.S. peanut industry. Being inducted into the Peanut Hall of Fame in 2025 as only the second woman to receive that recognition, along with receiving awards from the American Peanut Shellers Association and Mars, Inc., has been especially meaningful. These experiences have reminded me that success is not achieved alone; it is built through mentorship, collaboration, and a commitment to making a lasting impact.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the agricultural and procurement industry is to believe in your abilities, remain curious, and never be afraid to pursue opportunities that challenge you to grow. You can build a rewarding and successful career while making a meaningful difference and inspiring others along the way. Throughout my more than 30 years in the industry, I have learned the importance of perseverance, continuous learning, building strong professional relationships, and being willing to take on new responsibilities. Today, in my consulting role, I have the opportunity to share my experience and help others navigate the challenges of the industry. I encourage young women to find mentors, speak up with confidence, and recognize the value they bring to their organizations. Most importantly, focus not only on achieving your own success but also on creating opportunities for others to grow and succeed.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of my biggest challenges and opportunities right now is navigating the transition from a long corporate career to becoming a business owner. Having launched my consulting business less than a year ago, I am learning how to build my own client base, establish new partnerships, and position my services to meet the evolving needs of the agricultural and procurement industries. After spending decades working within a global organization, entrepreneurship has given me the opportunity to apply my experience in new ways, help businesses navigate commodity market volatility, and strengthen their supply chain strategies. While building a business requires adaptability, patience, and continuous learning, I find it rewarding to have greater flexibility in how I share my knowledge and create value for others. This new chapter allows me to turn decades of industry experience into practical solutions while continuing to grow professionally.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my professional and personal life are integrity, collaboration, continuous learning, and making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Throughout my career, I have found fulfillment in sharing my knowledge and experiences, particularly through my work helping transform the peanut industry by advancing the adoption of high-oleic peanuts, which offer greater resistance to rancidity and help support domestic and global peanut demand. I also value storytelling and personal growth, having recently completed a book after eight months of writing, which is currently with an editor, with plans to publish it next spring. Outside of work, I enjoy volunteering with various organizations, spending quality time with my three grandchildren, golfing regularly, and attending shows and concerts. Ultimately, I believe a fulfilling life comes from balancing professional accomplishments with family, community involvement, and the opportunity to share what we have learned to inspire and support others.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Anne-Marie
Leave It Better: 35 Years, Countless Lessons, and the Leadership Legacy That Matters Most
Lessons in Leadership, Trust, and Legacy from 35 Years in Global Sourcing
When I began my career at Mars more than 35 years ago, I never imagined the journey ahead. I certainly didn't anticipate that a career in procurement and global agriculture would take me around the world, introduce me to extraordinary people, and teach me some of life's most valuable lessons about leadership, trust, and relationships.
Looking back, I realize that the most important lessons weren't necessarily learned in conference rooms, during high-stakes negotiations, or while managing hundreds of millions of dollars in global sourcing responsibilities. They came from the people I worked alongside, the challenges we faced together, the mistakes I made, and the opportunities I had to make a difference. And perhaps the most important lesson of all was surprisingly simple: Whatever you do, wherever you go, leave it better than you found it.
Leadership Is About People, Not Positions
Throughout my career, I had the privilege of working with people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. From farmers in rural agricultural communities to senior executives in global boardrooms, I learned that titles and organizational charts rarely tell you who has the most valuable knowledge.
Some of my greatest teachers were peanut growers who understood their land, their crops, and their businesses in ways no spreadsheet could ever capture. One grower in Georgia taught me a lesson about risk that I carried throughout my career.
In June, we stood together in his peanut field. The stand was strong, the plants looked healthy, and the field appeared full of promise. When he took me back to that same field at the end of August, after a period of intense heat and no rain, the picture was very different. The plants were visibly stressed. We pulled some from the ground and found no peanuts beneath them.
He explained that his family had already invested in seed, fertilizer, fuel, and months of work. They could plant and care for the crop, do everything they were supposed to do, and still reach October with nothing to show for it. This was not simply a disappointing harvest; it was their livelihood.
Then he told me something I have never forgotten:
"Before asking us to take additional risk, understand we do that every day."
In corporate meetings, we talked about risk in terms of market volatility, supply continuity, and financial exposure. Standing in that Georgia field, I understood more deeply what those words meant to the families growing our crops. The lesson was not that companies should avoid difficult decisions. It was that we should first understand the risks our partners already bear and listen before asking them to take on more.
You cannot build a sustainable supply chain from behind a desk. You have to understand the people who make it possible. That experience reinforced my belief that effective leadership begins with listening, humility, and a willingness to see the world through someone else's eyes.
Trust Is the Foundation of Everything
Working in global commodity markets taught me that business relationships are tested most when circumstances become difficult. Markets fluctuate. Supply chains face disruptions. Strategies change. There are moments when the easiest decision isn't necessarily the right one.
During my years working in the peanut industry, I saw how long-term commitments, collaboration, and shared purpose could help create meaningful change across an agricultural supply chain. Those experiences reinforced a belief I carry into every professional relationship: Trust is built over time, strengthened through consistency, and demonstrated most clearly when keeping your word becomes difficult.
A successful negotiation might deliver a favorable outcome today. A trusted relationship can create value for decades.
Success Is More Than the Numbers
I spent much of my career in strategic sourcing, a profession where performance is often measured in savings, efficiency, risk management, and financial results. Those measures matter. Businesses need strong results to thrive. But as my responsibilities grew, so did my understanding of what lasting success really means.
It isn't simply about what you accomplish while you're in a position. It's about what continues to work after you've moved on. Did you help someone develop the confidence to take on a bigger challenge? Did you build a process that made the organization stronger? Did you create opportunities for others to succeed? Did you make decisions that strengthened relationships rather than sacrificing them for short-term gains?
Those accomplishments may never appear on a financial scorecard, but they are often the ones that matter most.
Never Stop Learning, and Never Stop Teaching
One of the greatest privileges of my career was having mentors who generously shared their knowledge and experience. They helped me understand not only the technical aspects of business but also how to navigate difficult decisions, build relationships, and lead with integrity. As my career progressed, I felt a responsibility to do the same for others.
I became passionate about developing talent, sharing knowledge, and creating learning opportunities. Teaching isn't simply about transferring information. It's about giving people the tools, confidence, and encouragement to think independently. Mentoring is never a one-way street, either. Some of the people I was fortunate enough to mentor taught me just as much as I taught them.
The Next Chapter: A Different Kind of Success
At the end of 2025, I retired from Mars after 35 years. But I don't really think of it as retirement. I prefer to call it rewirement.
Through AMD Strategic Solutions, I'm continuing to share my experience in global sourcing, agricultural supply chains, and strategic leadership. I'm also pursuing opportunities to teach, advise, mentor, and contribute to organizations in new ways. And I'm preparing to publish my first book, Leave It Better, in spring 2027.
The book grew from a desire to capture the lessons, experiences, and relationships that shaped my career-not because I have all the answers, but because I believe the lessons we learn are worth sharing. If my experiences help someone navigate a difficult decision, become a better leader, or recognize the importance of investing in others, those lessons will continue to have value long after my corporate career has ended.
The Legacy We Leave
After 35 years, I've come to believe that leadership isn't defined by the size of your budget, the importance of your title, or even the recognition you receive. It's defined by how you treat people, the trust you build, the opportunities you create, and the positive difference you make along the way.
Careers eventually end. Titles change. Business results become part of history. But the influence we have on others can continue for generations. And that's the legacy I hope to leave: Leave it better than you found it. Not just the business. Not just the organization. The people, too.
About the Author: Anne-Marie DeLorenzo is the founder of AMD Strategic Solutions, LLC, and a retired global strategic sourcing leader with 35 years of experience at Mars. An inductee into the American Peanut Council's Peanut Hall of Fame, she is passionate about leadership, mentoring, and strengthening global agricultural supply chains. Her forthcoming book, Leave It Better, is planned for spring 2027.
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