Heineken USA launched its Behind the Label initiative, a program designed to foster inclusion and diversity across the alcoholic beverage industry by celebrating the people, processes and passion that make up this varied field.
The team is kicking off these discussions with the release of Behind the Label: Gender Diversity and the Alcoholic Beverage Industry, a report examining how the industry has progressed on gender diversity to-date, and where there are opportunities to improve and evolve.
While women have made gains in the beer, wine and spirits over the past decades, there is still opportunity to further level the playing field when it comes to gender diversity, particularly at the leadership levels. Heineken USA’s report leverages external diversity research and insights from women working across the three-tier system â from suppliers and distributors to retailers and associations â to identify the opportunities and challenges for greater inclusion. While these women are in different roles and at different levels of their careers, they all pointed to three distinct areas for improving gender diversity in the field: elevating recruitment efforts, diversifying work options, and encouraging allyship.
“The beverage industry has always been focused on connecting people, but we often know very little about the different people and skillsets that must come together to bring us our favorite drinks,” said Maggie Timoney, Chief Executive Officer of Heineken USA. “I’m very passionate about uniting as an industry to continue to celebrate the hard-working, creative minds in this field and ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. By doing so, we not only create a more innovative and inclusive industry â we also ensure that we’re connecting with the best and brightest of our future leaders.”
Across the majority of interviews, recruitment stood out as a way to connect with a broader pool of talent than the field traditionally has in the past. Many of the women interviewed noted that while the beverage industry has done an excellent job advancing diversity when it comes to marketing its products, it has lagged in marketing career opportunities to top talent (and women) outside the industry. To do this, industry organizations must consider starting discussions with potential recruits earlier in their careers, and address the barriers to entry and growth that have traditionally kept women from advancing in the field.