The Drinks Association opened its eighth annual Inclusive Leadership Program with a launch event at the Vibe Hotel in Sydney on Thursday, April 11.
Facilitated by Serendis, the six-month program serves as a valuable platform for connecting mentees with mentors from different organisations within the drinks industry. Since its establishment, it has continued to serve as an effective platform for nurturing talented individuals in readiness for more advanced leadership roles.
This year's impressive cohort includes 23 pairs of mentors and mentees (four more pairs than last year) representing a broad range of businesses, including Accolade Wines, ALM, Bacardi-Martini, Brown-Forman, Campari, Casella Family Brands, CCEP, Diageo, Lion, Moët Hennessy, Paramount Liquor, Pernod Ricard and Taylors Wines.
Coles Liquor, the Drinks Association’s first retail partner, also joined the program for the first time.
The launch event formally introduced the newly paired mentors and mentees to each other for the first time.
National Sales Director for Lion and Drinks Association Board member, Kerry Appathurai, delivered the event’s opening remarks to the attendees.
In her address, she discussed the success of the leadership program over the past eight years and how it was initially established to tackle cultural challenges within the drinks industry.
“When you leave here in November, you will be part of a huge cohort of special people who have been involved in this program. 288 people have gone through this program so far, so you will be joining a group of change agents,” said Appathurai.
“It's our responsibility to really challenge the status quo, to do things differently, to lean into being more inclusive in all of our workplaces, and to think differently,” she added.
Before leading the panel session, Julie Thompson, Serendis Director, said to the audience of program participants, “You bring a wealth of experiences with you, you bring yourself, your history, your experiences, your relationships, your perspectives. We hope you enjoy starting to share those with each other. And we're very much looking forward to spending the next six months working with you.”
Thompson then invited two returning mentors and two mentees from the 2023 cohort to participate in the panel and share their firsthand experiences and reflections on the program.
Blake Coates, Head of Sales - National Key Accounts at Pernod Ricard and returning program mentor told the audience that the people and the networks created within the drinks industry are powerful and beneficial in building and charting individual careers.
“The most influential aspect of what I've taken out of this program is to talk to people about it. That’s what will drive change. It's talking, it's advocacy, and it's action and more action,” said Coates.
He added: “Through the power of conversation, you'll figure out what your goals are and what you want to get out of the program.”
2023 mentee, Shaun Magee, National Account Manager at Moët Hennessy addressed the new mentees in the audience and said, “This program is genuinely one of the best things that you can do. Don't feel like you need to come into this knowing exactly what you want to get out of it. Approach it knowing you need to drive it yourself, but let the advice and the feedback come to you and then decide on where you want to take it from there.”
Referring to the 360-degree feedback exercise that is a fundamental part of the leadership program, returning mentor, Nellie Tierney, HR Director ANZ at Campari said, “Everyone who contributes to that 360-degree survey is doing so to help your development. So take it and be aware of who you are and what you need to work on to make yourself an even better, more inclusive leader.”
“One of the greatest assets for a leader is having self-awareness. Being aware of your own kind of biases and working on them is really important as we all have them built within us,” added Tierney.
Lara Gardner, Senior Market Manager at Casella Family Brands and 2023 mentee, told the attendees that the sessions she had with her mentor were instrumental in changing her thinking.
“I thought I had quite an open mindset when I approached the program, but my mentor was able to really challenge my thinking and look at things from a long-term perspective rather than looking at what's right in front of me.”
Gardner highlighted that the program was also an opportunity to build the professional network of all of the participants.
“Use this opportunity to build your network with other mentees of the other mentors. Make it work for you as best you possibly can,” she added.
The 2024 Drinks Association Inclusive Leadership Program runs for six months and will conclude in November this year.