People of Beam Suntory: Elizabeth Padilla Lima

People of Beam Suntory: Elizabeth Padilla Lima

"I’ve lived in Tequila Jalisco my whole life. Growing up, I always liked to know how things worked. I would investigate different objects around my house, such as opening controls, fans, and other electronics to figure out how they operated. I was always in search for more adventures and more knowledge. My mother always wondered about my future, since I didn’t follow the pattern of the rest of the girls in my class. But this became a passion.

I originally wanted to be a lawyer, but my life took a different turn and I studied industrial engineering. I hated math but I was drawn to the magic of finding solutions, designing, and creating relationships with people that I could constantly learn from. Throughout my years studying, I was often told this would be my career ‘until I got married’. Not only did I hear this from my fellow students, but from my professors as well since most students were men. Even my family was confused by my career choice. Most women in my family became teachers. But I liked engineering, and I wasn’t going to stop.

From the first time my friend gave me a tour of the Casa Sauza distillery, I was instantly in awe of all the work being done, the processes, and the facility as a whole. My friend would always say he had a feeling I would work there one day; he was right. After the tour, my dream of working at Casa Sauza began.

I began working full time at the distillery in 2012. I was the first woman to report directly to a manager in the bottling production area, since then more women have been hired. I continued to work very hard and eventually there was an opening for the lead packaging specialist position. This was the first time that a woman held a position at the management level in production areas at Casa Sauza. It started a movement to give women more opportunities.

I often think about those that believed I would give up. Defying their expectations is what continues to motivate me today."

-    Elizabeth Padilla Lima, Bottling Specialist Leader, Mexico