People of Beam Suntory: Desiree Warren

People of Beam Suntory: Desiree Warren

“I started my journey with Beam Suntory in the Training Tomorrow’s Talent (T3) program, which is a three-year sales and marketing rotational program that aims to train the next generation of leaders in the spirits industry. I’m currently in my third year and the program has equipped me with the brand knowledge and skills to be able to navigate this industry. I’ve had so many impactful and rewarding experiences at Beam Suntory, like supporting minority owned businesses and helping to highlight local businesses without a strong Beam Suntory Portfolio presence.
 

I don’t see a lot of Gen Z or Black women on the sales side of the spirits industry. Despite this, I used that to my advantage to build authentic relationships with mentors and my on and off-premise accounts. I remember when I first started working in the sales field, people would mistake me for being an intern or would tell me that women don’t drink bourbon. I would use these moments as an opportunity to educate them on our brands and their heritage, proving them wrong by showing them the demographics of our consumers.
 

As someone who’s new in their career journey and a first-generation college student, I sometimes put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed in my career... But I like to remind myself that if I am moving with intention, then I am exactly where I am meant to be. I have done the work to make impactful connections within the spirits industry and my accomplishments thus far speaks to that.
 

Through the resources available to me at Beam Suntory, I’ve been able to build an incredible network and gain a mentor in Kanata Herring, Senior Manager Innovation, who has given me a lot of great advice on how to develop a healthy work-life balance and navigate my career. It’s important to have another mentor who looks like myself.
 

I think it’s important for the spirits industry to continue to hire employees from a range of backgrounds, including younger generations because differences generate new ideas about how we engage consumers from a marketing perspective.  We’re already seeing the way Generation Z is impacting the industry, from e-commerce, to social media and the influence we have on buying trends. It’s important for businesses to bring in a wide variety of voices so they can have a seat at the table.” 

 

Desiree Warren, T3 Marketing Associate, US