Allison Miazga-Bedrick

Class of 2026

For Allison Miazga-Bedrick, a 28-year career in confectionery has been defined by three things: delivering results, developing people and building brands that become part of consumers’ lives. From leading some of Mars Snacking’s most celebrated campaigns to developing teams and businesses, she has paired a strong work ethic with a people-focused approach to leadership.

Born November 19, 1969, Allison grew up in Mahopac, NY, with her parents, Thomas and Lucille Miazga, and her sister, Susan. She credits her parents with shaping many of the qualities she carries with her today. Her mother was an organized extrovert, while her father demonstrated the value of hard work, sacrifice and character, commuting more than two hours a day to New York City while always making his family a priority.

Athletics also played a central role in Allison’s life. After graduating from Mahopac High School in 1987, she attended Duke University on a full-tuition field hockey scholarship. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1991 while becoming an All-American, serving as team captain and competing on the Junior Olympics field hockey team.

After Duke, Allison spent five years at advertising agencies in New York City. Although she enjoyed the industry, she wanted to pursue brand marketing and returned to school, earning an MBA from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management in 1998.

Her path to confectionery became clear during an internship at Nestlé, where she worked on Toll House cookies. The experience showed Allison she wanted to market everyday products and build brands that create emotional connections with consumers. In June 1998, she joined Mars as an Associate Marketing Manager at its Hackettstown, NJ, headquarters.

Today Allison is Vice President of Marketing for the company’s Seasonal Portfolio. She has held leadership positions across brands including M&M’s, Snickers, Twix, Dove and Skittles, with responsibilities spanning brand management, innovation, business leadership and portfolio strategy.

Among her most memorable experiences were leading six Super Bowl campaigns for M&M’s and Snickers between 2015 and 2021. Her work included the iconic Snickers “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign and its 2015 Brady Bunch Super Bowl spot. Her teams’ work earned honors including an Effie Award, Cannes Lions and a Super Clio.

Mars has also recognized Allison with its North America Marketing Hero Award, the 2016 Mars Global Marketing Hero Award, two regional Make The Difference Awards and the 2013 Mars Chocolate North America Corner Candy Shop Award.

But Allison measures success by more than awards. Among her proudest accomplishments are helping grow Mars’ Seasonal business to nearly $2 billion in sales and developing a world-class marketing organization.

At the heart of those achievements is Allison’s leadership philosophy. She believes delivering results and leading people are inseparable, and that how work gets done matters as much as what gets delivered. Accountability, authenticity and communication are central to the way she leads.

That mindset has been especially valuable when leading businesses through turnarounds. Allison has found great satisfaction in helping teams rebuild and creating cultures grounded in trust, accountability, fun and a shared desire to win. Throughout her career, she has invested deeply in developing others, mentoring associates and supporting women’s leadership initiatives.

Family provides Allison with perspective and balance. She married Michael Bedrick in 1999, and they have two daughters, Abigail, 23, and Ellie, 19. Allison hopes to show her daughters that women can be strong and empowered while being present parents and successful professionals.

An avid pickleball player, she enjoys both the competition and the people she meets through the game. She also loves traveling with her husband, daughters and longtime friends from Duke.

Allison hopes her legacy will be measured not only by the iconic brands she helped grow, but by the people she influenced along the way. Her career reflects a belief that where you invest your time matters — and that helping others grow is one of the most meaningful ways to spend it.