How we ensure everyone is invited to the HEINEKEN party

At HEINEKEN, one of our convictions is that diverse views make great brews. I put this conviction into action each day. As do our ambassadors for Inclusion and Diversity (I&D), who can be found throughout the entire company and across the world. Two of these ambassadors were happy to share their experiences with me: Blanca Ponce (Zone Manager for Heineken Mexico) and Vikas Satyal (Senior Commercial Marketing Director for Heineken USA).

Why did you decide to become an I&D ambassador within HEINEKEN? 

BP: I wanted to help people with a different mindset, as part of a team. It's been an amazing journey so far! I was already working with programmes that supported women in their professional development, because in Mexico, the beer industry is traditionally very male. I want to change that. Not just for HEINEKEN, but for our culture as a whole. It's a great company, and a great springboard for Mexican culture.

VS: I'd filled a similar role at my previous companies, and through those experiences, I had learned that different views and perspectives yield better business results. Diversity drives those different perspectives. That's especially important in the US beer market, which is quite fragmented. So it's right for the company as well as for the community. Beyond that, I think you can build real, strong connections through role modeling.

Which aspects of the role surprised you?

VS: Changing hearts and minds takes a lot of time. I'm passionate about inclusion and diversity, so maybe I was a bit naive. But some people just don't want to go there. They think it's only about race and gender. But everyone cares about diversity, no matter their gender, nationality, race, generation, sexual orientation, disability, and so on. Everyone wants to be invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance while you're there.

BP: I was surprised by how important this role really is. And by how strong unconscious biases can be! Fortunately, unconscious biases are easy to change by taking small actions every day.

The kick-off for this programme was a year ago. Did you face any challenges?

VS: There have been a couple of growing pains. We're focused on diversity beyond gender and racial diversity, which means more parties get involved. And the more stakeholders there are, the longer things take. But that just goes to show that everyone cares.

BP: Not everyone on the leadership team was initially convinced that inclusion and diversity would yield deliverable results. But now it's clear that they do, so we're slowly changing that mindset. We've got a defined strategy now: attraction, retention, growth.

Which changes are you effecting within HEINEKEN as an ambassador?

VS: There were various open positions on my team, so we wanted to identify any gaps. Fostering inclusion and diversity needs to happen before the hiring process even starts. And it's not about filling quotas; it's about providing opportunities. In the end, we hired four diverse candidates. Not only can they do the job, but they provide a valuable new perspective as well. 

BP: We all do things sometimes that are not inclusive, so I'm working on changing my own actions. I'm checking in with my team at the beginning of meetings, and we've reconsidered our hiring process. We always aimed for gender diversity in our candidate pool, but we need to take that approach during interviews as well: the interview panel should also be diverse.

What advice do you have for others who are looking to pursue a similar role, either within HEINEKEN or within their own organization?

VS: You have a voice–-use it. Speak with passion and discipline, because it starts with you. Think about the changes you can make, in your community as well. And when it comes to changing hearts and minds, take it one person at a time.

BP: Don't be afraid to speak up. There will always be someone who disagrees with you, but for everyone who disagrees, you'll find two people who do agree. It's important to realize that we don't need the 'ambassador' title to actually be an ambassador. All of us can advocate for inclusion and diversity, and all of us should.

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Interested in reading more? Read my other article 6 Amazing Examples of Inclusion in Action at HEINEKEN or read about the launch of our AMEE Inclusion and Diversity ambassadors here.

Now I am curious to know about you all, the readers to this article: how are you an I&D ambassador yourself ? Please let me know in the comments !

#DiverseViewsMakeGreatBrews #WeAreHEINEKEN #GoPlaces