September 05, 2025

🌾 Bridging Worlds for Sustainable Rice: Meet Shower Zhang, Mars’ Ambassador to SRP

SRP is excited to welcome Shower (Xiaohong) Zhang, a Mars Ambassador through the Mars Ambassador Program (MAP), who joined SRP on 21 July 2025 for a few weeks’ assignment. With her unique blend of professional expertise, cultural background, and passion for sustainability, Shower is set to help SRP open new doors and build stronger connections in the Chinese rice market.

The Mars Ambassador Program enables Mars employees to contribute their expertise to global sustainability initiatives. Shower, has joined an MAP project to help SRP exploring opportunities in the Chinese rice market, with a focus on promoting sustainable rice practice, mapping the key stakeholders and fostering new collaborations that can be use for SRP’s broader market expansion strategy.

Shower is originally from China and currently based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, where she works as a Supply Chain Compliance Manager at Royal Canin, a Mars company. With over 20 years of experience in supply chain management, a decade in the agricultural industry, and a strong foundation in chemical engineering and business (MBA), she brings a powerful mix of knowledge and skills to her MAP assignment.

But Shower’s contribution goes far beyond her professional achievements. Fluent in English and Mandarin, she bridges cultural and linguistic gaps, creating opportunities for SRP to collaborate more closely with stakeholders in China. Her passion for charity work and environmental sustainability—including volunteering with organizations that support underprivileged children—reflects her deep commitment to making a positive difference.

When asked what excites her most about joining SRP, Shower shared:

“I look forward to learning from SRP’s partners and farmers and contributing to advancing rice sustainability. This experience will help me grow both personally and professionally while driving meaningful change for communities and the environment.”

Outside of work, Shower enjoys cooking, exploring nature through hiking, and has traveled to over 30 countries. She’s also embracing new interests, such as learning AI and sketching, while spending time with her family and her dog Ollie—who is training to become a therapy dog.

Through this collaboration between Mars and SRP, Shower’s expertise and passion will support SRP’s mission to scale sustainable rice globally and accelerate our impact in China, one of the world’s most significant rice markets. Together, we are turning shared goals into tangible progress.

Happy to have you, Shower! We are excited to work alongside you and Mars to make sustainable rice a reality for farmers, businesses, and consumers worldwide.