February 24, 2022 (New York, NY) – Women of the Vine & Spirits (WOTVS), the all-encompassing global membership organization, dedicated to boldly pushing the wine, beer and spirits industry toward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive era has announced program details for its annual event, WOTVS Global CONNECT! to be held March 8th, on International Women’s Day.
The event is open to WOTVS 160+ Corporate Member companies, globally, whose employees receive complimentary access to the event.
The annual conference brings together the beverage alcohol industry’s top executives and experts across all three tiers. Attendees will join sessions focused on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), how DE&I leads to business development and innovation (BD&I) as well get a first-hand look at various key initiatives coming in 2022, and beyond, for WOTVS Corporate Members and the beverage alcohol industry. Closing out the program will be Keynote Speaker, Ann Mukherjee, Chairman & CEO, Pernod Ricard North America.
“We are eager to share with our Corporate Members the new programs and initiatives we have for this year, as we all play a pivotal role in championing change,” said Deborah Brenner, Founder & CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits. “WOTVS CONNECT! will bring together members across all three-tiers of the industry to learn about actionable initiatives pushing forward diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) and business development & innovation (BD&I). It is through collaboration, connection and commitment that we can create a better industry for all.”
Corporate Members of Women of the Vine & Spirits can register for free for the event at: womenofthevine.com/globalconne
Session Details and Confirmed Speakers:
Women Raising the Bar: Announcing Our Industry-Specific DE&I Study in Collaboration with Deloitte, LLP
Women of the Vine & Spirits and Deloitte have created a baseline report to offer companies in beverage alcohol the opportunity to engage in a holistic conversation around DE&I. Until now, companies have relied on very limited data since most studies have included the beverage alcohol sector as part of a broader food and beverage industry categorization or have focused solely on larger companies. Through Executive Interviews, individual surveys and company-wide questionnaires, Deloitte has performed an analysis and identified areas where the beverage alcohol industry is seeing positive change as well as areas to drive improvement. This study provides a first of its kind industry-specific report to establish a standardized framework from which to measure company performance against DE&I benchmarks going forward. This standardized framework will allow companies to evaluate leading practices and hold themselves accountable for building more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces.
- Olga Gareeva, Managing Director, Retail & Consumer Products, Deloitte Consulting, LLP (Moderator)
- Marc Hirten, President & COO, Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.
- Dana Pellicano, Vice President | Global, US and Canada Food + Beverage, Marriott International
- Ryan Robinson, Director of Research, Deloitte, LLP
- Melody Zhang, Chief Human Resources Officer, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
The Importance of Economic Inclusion & Gender Diversity: Introducing the Women Powered Brands™ Resource and Database
Women Powered Brands™ is a website containing resources and a searchable database created by Women of the Vine & Spirits. This pilot database will be the go-to resource for buyers, wholesalers, importers, media, supplier diversity procurement and event planners to easily identify gender diverse brands in the beverage alcohol industry. Inherently, this database addresses the importance of sourcing from gender diverse businesses which in turn supports economic empowerment and inclusion, building strong economics and communities.
- Deborah Brenner, Founder & CEO, Women of the Vine & Spirits (Moderator)
- Gus Bozzo, Executive Vice President, National Accounts, Breakthru Beverage Group
- Annie Morrison, National Account Manager, Brown-Forman
- Liz Paquette, Senior Director – Brand, Drizly
- Katie Smith, Merchandising Director – Wine, Walmart
- Chad Sokol, Vice President / General Merchandise Manager, Wine/Liquor, Costco Wholesale
It Cannot Wait: Transformational Program to Create a Safer Workplace Free of Harassment in Beverage Alcohol
Over the past year, we have read the explosive articles detailing graphic accounts of sexual harassment, abuse, sexual accusations, and toxicity in the beverage alcohol industry. We must address this issue and adhere to higher standards. It cannot wait. Companies may have a very robust reporting systems and strict internal policies to address sexual harassment, but they may struggle to protect their employees that work in the field. We need to find a solution to protect employees working in the supply chain in the three-tier system. WOTVS hired CARE Impact Partners, the advisory services arm of CARE.org. to lead this effort. CARE has been working with WOTVS to create a customized CEO Pledge and Standardized Guidelines addressing sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse as well as gender-based violence specifically for the beverage alcohol industry.
- Kayla Campbell, VP, Total Talent, Diversity & Enterprise-wide Development, Pernod Ricard North America (Moderator)
- Melissa Linehan, VP, Commercial Marketing, Pernod Ricard North America
- Emily Patrick, Interim Managing Director, CARE Impact Partners
- Kristin Perales, VP, People, Stone Brewing
- Chris Swonger, President & CEO, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS)
WOTVS Global CONNECT! is open only to employees of Women of the Vine & Spirits Corporate Members. For those interested in Corporate Membership opportunities, please email Elizabeth Campbell Boyd at elizabeth@womenofthevine.com.
WOTVS Global CONNECT! registration is generously sponsored by DIAGEO
Sponsors of WOTVS Global CONNECT! include Women of the Vine & Spirits Corporate Members: Beam Suntory; Breakthru Beverage Group; Brown-Forman; Diageo; Heaven Hill; Mast-Jägermeister; McDermott Will & Emory; Republic National Distributing Company; Shaw-Ross International Importers; Skrewball Whiskey; Ste. Michelle Wine Estates; The Spearhead Group; The Wine Group; Treasury Wine Estates; William Grant & Sons; and Wine and Spirits Shippers Association Inc.
Women of the Vine & Spirits Corporate Members include Founding Member: Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits; Diamond Members: Breakthru Beverage Group; Bronco Wine Company; Brown-Forman; E. & J. Gallo Winery; Frederick Wildman & Sons, Ltd.; Moët Hennessy USA; Republic National Distributing Company; Shaw-Ross International Importers; Skrewball Whiskey; and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates; Platinum Members: Beam Suntory; Constellation Brands; J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines; O’Neill Vintners & Distillers; Pernod Ricard USA; and William Grant & Sons. For a full list of Corporate Members including those at the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Associate level, visit the Corporate Members tab at womenofthevine.com
About Women of the Vine & Spirits
Women of the Vine & Spirits is an all-encompassing global organization, dedicated to boldly pushing the wine, beer and spirits industry toward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive era that supports business development and innovation, empowering all to thrive. Our members connect through our global network and collaborate across all industry sectors. We provide our members with benefits that include education, training, mentorship, and networking as well as tools, services and resources toward DE&I, and personal and business development. For more information, please visit womenofthevine.com.
