In a first for any bev/al trade association, Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. launched DISCUS Academy to provide the spirits industry with best-in-class training and ongoing support in five key subject domains: Leadership Development; Business Management & Finance; Sales & Marketing; Safety & Risk Management; and Laws & Regulations.
In addition, DISCUS is partnering with Cornell University, to also offer two Leadership Development programs to provide professionals of varying leadership experience education tailored to their career stage.
“As the leading voice and advocate for distilled spirits in the U.S., DISCUS is uniquely positioned to create the standard for distilled spirits industry business education,” said Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. and Responsibility.org. “DISCUS Academy will facilitate the transfer of knowledge from our industry’s legends and business luminaries to develop the next generation of leaders, allowing for a more diverse, inclusive and successful industry.”
Examples of upcoming course content include:
- Fire Protection Best Practices
- Risk Management
- Foundation on the 3-Tier System
- Developing a Safety Program
- Understanding Financial Statements & Cash Flow Management
- Organizational Structure, Job descriptions & Compensation
- Trade Practice and Tied-House Considerations
“One of our main reasons for creating DISCUS Academy to provide professional education to those willing to make a commitment to their education and to bettering our industry,” said Courtney McKee, CEO of Headframe Spirits and chair of the DISCUS Academy Curriculum Working Group.
“The Academy’s curriculum was designed by leaders in our industry who are experts — some legends — in their craft. Through the DISCUS Academy, we’ve created a broad series of courses that will serve as a masterclass in their respective subject areas and made them available through an easy-to-access online learning platform for available to everyone in our industry,” he added. “We believe providing this education will foster a safer, financially healthier and more diverse and inclusive industry. We know that the better each of us does, the better we all do together, and we’re proud to work in service of that vision.”