Global President and CEO of Mars, Incorporated, Paul S. Michaels took over the helm in 2004, following the retirement of the more family-oriented team that had been running the business until that point – John and Forrest Mars, Jr. It was Michaels’ aim in his new role to lead the company to “far greater growth and financial return.” Achieving this was not so simple though, since Michaels encountered various organizational and internal political challenges along the way. It seemed that management was only focused on benefiting their own region, as opposed to the company in its entirety – these managers were simply not working together. In response to this – and with a pure focus on the company’s success – Michaels created a “burning platform” focusing on business issues to get the work done efficiently and smoothly.