Panama: bridge of the world, heart of the universe (and CCA)

Only a quarter of a century ago, Diageo was born with an entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to become the most trusted and respected company in the premium beverage industry. With that excitement, the company began its journey with iconic brands under our vast, diverse, and strong portfolio that have accompanied the celebrations of millions of customers.

Last night, we closed a year of celebrating the 20th anniversary of our arrival in the region, hosted by His Excellency Tim Stew and his wife, Shabania, who kindly opened their homes to us for this joyous ocassion.

Panama is a country of transit, but I like to think of it more of a place of journey, where we grow and are enriched with the cultural diversity of all who have called it a home. Just 70 km from our office, you can taste a delicious plantintá in Colón, inherited from the afrocaribbean influence in the country. A little further, at 140 km from here, you can see the African influence in the masks of the Diablos de Espejos of Antón. And 300 km away, you can hear the Spanish influence in the singing of the “décima” from Azuero.

The panamanian poet Ignacio de Jesús Valdés penned the phrase “Panamá, puente del mundo, corazón del universo” and I feel it reflects not only the true nature of this beautiful country, but the ethos of our Panama operation and its importance for CCA.

Our Panama Hub is the heart of CCA. It is rich in diversity and the cultural influence of the more than 22 nationalities among our employees who are always bringing their excellence in everything we do.

Panama reminds us that we are only here for a season and the importante of going about, shaping history.

Since our arrival in the country, each part of our journey has brought us closer to where we are today— pioneering commercial and social excellence.

As the post-pandemic era has conditioned us to working in ecosystems, more than ever we have learnt that our strength is in playing together. Setting up a foundation of purpose and trust with our partners that systematically work on strengthening our value proposition, which has been the key to achieving our ambition and commercial excellence.

Our presence in Panama is strengthened through our partnership with Global Brands Panamá and we are proud of what we have achieved together. Thanks to this partnership, we have reached more than 4k points of sale where you can find our brands and turned Panama into our third largest contributor of CCA.

We have located our shipment hub in Panama, since its strategic location offers us an advantage, especially for the Caribbean and Central American markets. Thanks to our partnership with J. Cain Logistics , we can export and distribute our brands to more than 30 countries in the region, reaching 1 million cases exported last year and aiming to reach 2 million cases this year.

We all know that corporations and entities have moved from shareholder-ism to stakeholder-ism. The value of an enterprise in this current age is measured by how well it meets the needs of its stakeholders and not just returns for shareholders. For Diageo, in Panama, we want to be the most trusted and respected consumer business, because we understand this is the only currency to unlocking the next 20 years.

Thanks to our partnership with COSPAE and MIDES and the support of MEDUCA, we have already reached 8,000 teenagers and educated them in the dangers of underage drinking and are on our way to reach 20,000 more.

We have educated over 1,000 young people with our Learning for Life program and more than 2,500 through DBA; and as part of our partnership with MIDES, we will give access to education and employment opportunities to more.

We are committed to being a progressive voice in the support for inclusion and diversity in Panama. As part of this agenda, we will continue to fight for gender parity, as members of their Gender Equality Initiative.

We are proud to be bold allies of the LGBTQ+ community in Panama. As a member of Pride Connection Panamá , we are dedicated to ensuring we are an inclusive work environment with a diverse culture. And with our partnership with Fundación Iguales Panamá , we will keep elevating the voice of the Sí Acepto campaign in their defense of same sex couple’s right to marry in the country.

Panama’s diversity inspires us, and its growth energizes us, as we are convinced that this is the place and the moment to keep expanding our investments, growing our business, and giving scale to our social transformation initiatives.

We thank the people of Panama for their warm reception, continuous support throughout these years and for sharing their spirit and determination in everything you do. ?It is what carries us today and will carry us tomorrow as we unlock the next decade of greatness, echando pa’lante.