Eric van Deijck has been with Mars for nearly forty years. He started in Veghel as an engineer, worked on major projects in various roles and countries, and returned to the Netherlands in 2019. In his free time, he enjoys riding his bike or motorcycle, but he also covers quite a few miles at the pension fund. After four years as secretary of the Accountability Council, he is now, on the eve of the transition, making the move to the board.

In early September, you will receive a survey about our communication, services, and the changes affecting your pension. We’d love to hear your thoughts and where you think we can improve. Will you take a few minutes to share your views?

We recently provided an update on vacancies on the Board and the Accountability Council. A new step has now been taken toward filling the vacancy on the Board on behalf of the active members.

The interest crediting rate for the ARP plan for the second half of 2026 has been set at 5.68% per year for active members. For deferred members, the interest rate for the second half of 2026 has been set at 5.47% on an annual basis.

The 2025 Annual Report has been published. We look back on an intensive year in which important milestones were also achieved. View the infographic for a quick impression of 2025 or download the full 2025 Annual Report.

The board of Mars Pension Fund has completed its review of the Transition Plan and accepted the assignment from Mars and the Works Councils to implement the new pension plan. This marks an important milestone on the path to the new pension plan.

The interest accrual for the ARP plan for the first half of 2026 has been set. For active as well as deferred members of the ARP/ASP plan this is 6.27% on an annual basis. This represents the full interest grant.

We recently informed you about the open positions on the board and the Accountability Council. In this message, we’re providing a brief update on the current status.

In 2024, the House of Representatives approved the new pension choice known as ‘lump sum’. The Senate recently indicated that it would only consider this proposal once the new minister had announced a clear start date. On March 30, 2026, it was announced that this pension option would be available no earlier than January 1, 2029.

The start of Mars Pension Fund’s new pension plan as per January 1, 2027 was not feasible. Mars Pension Fund is now expected to introduce the new pension plan on January 1, 2028.