Month: March 2023

Today, we celebrate International Women’s Day. In this blog post, Amina Razvi, CEO of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition shares her thoughts on the importance of putting equity at the heart of sustainability, addressing the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, and the importance of supporting, empowering, and increasing equity for women, particularly in women-dominated industries such as the apparel industry.

Read her blog post here Putting equity at the heart of sustainability this International Women’s Day on the SAC website.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, March 8, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Bacardi is promoting Stephanie Macleod, Master Blender for its portfolio of Scotch whiskies, to a newly created role as Director of Blending, Scotch Whisky – a promotion that recognizes her talent and 25 years’ experience in crafting Scotch whisky. Stephanie became the first female Master Blender for DEWAR’S in 2006, following her official three-year training with the then Master Blender.

She is passionate about nurturing the next generation of talent within Bacardi and the whisky industry, and continues to create a path for women through her commitment to building opportunities for women in leadership.

A multi-award winning and highly respected figure in the whisky industry, in her new role Stephanie will continue to lead the famed blending legacy of DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Scotch whisky, and the five Single Malts – ABERFELDY®, AULTMORE®, CRAIGELLACHIE®, THE DEVERON® and ROYAL BRACKLA® – as Malt Master.

Her expanded remit will also see her develop the people and processes needed to continue to the premiumization of the range and help deliver on the family-owned spirits company’s ambition to be industry leaders in innovation and quality.

“It’s an exciting time for Scotch whisky right now as demand grows around the world for top quality, beautifully crafted blends and malts,” comments Stephanie Macleod, Director of Blending, Scotch Whisky, Bacardi. “In my new role, I’ll be ensuring we are able to meet this increasing demand – both now and for many decades to come – while continuing to deliver new, exciting and curated Scotch whiskies, spanning our Blended and Single Malt portfolios.”

At the 2022 International Whisky Competition, Stephanie was crowned ‘Master Blender of the Year’ for an unprecedented fourth year in a row, a feat which recognizes her world-leading expertise in the art of blending. She is only the seventh Master Blender in DEWAR’S 176-year history.

She joined Bacardi, based in Glasgow in 1998, and began her career in whisky as a Sensory Analyst at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, working on a project which attempted to unlock the maturation secrets of Scotch whisky.

“The consistent quality and flavor of every drop of our Scotch whiskies is thanks to Stephanie and her team,” comments Dave Ingram, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Bacardi. “As Director of Blending, she will bring her mastery of the entire whisky-making process – from barley to bottle – to play a pivotal role in delivering our bold growth ambitions for Scotch whisky.”

She leads a team of Blenders and Assistant Blenders who learn from her wealth of knowledge and expertise every day.

As well as heading-up this talented team, Stephanie will continue to share her story and her love of whisky to inspire others around the world to nose, taste and enjoy a sensory experience which is unlike any other.

Supporting women in leadership is among the key pillars of Bacardi’s Belonging program, which focuses on creating programming, development opportunities and more in support of underrepresented groups in the spirits world. Bacardi’s efforts recently earned the company recognition from Forbes as one of the World’s Top Female Friendly Companies.

About Bacardi  
Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, produces and markets internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited brand portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDÍ® rum, GREY GOOSE® vodka, PATRÓN® tequila, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Scotch whisky, ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur, and ERISTOFF® vodka. Founded more than 161 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs more than 8,000 people, operates production facilities in 10 countries, and sells its brands in more than 170 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Media enquiries: 
Phillippa Williams, Corporate Communications Director, Bacardi, pholmes@bacardi.com

Always drink responsibly.

If culture was soil, what are the fertilizers that leaders would need to mix in for equity to blossom? I’ve been mulling over this question to recognize the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day: Embrace Equity. I’m passionate about cultivating healthy, vibrant culture, and so I was intrigued to reflect on how leaders can grow a culture where inclusion and equity are engrained in its soil. Three specific moments came to mind.

Moment #1: Embracing my “otherness”

During the height of the pandemic in 2020, I happened to be the only parent on the Boston Scientific executive committee with young kids at home. I found that I was that voice constantly reminding the team about the challenging and often harrowing realities of our employees who were expected to manage work, their kids’ school closures and distance learning — all at the same time.

I must admit that at the beginning, I felt uncomfortable being “the other” and “the only,” as I had just joined the executive committee. Then I started to realize the impact I was making by being open and vulnerable on this topic, which allowed me to embrace my “otherness” instead of trying to downplay it or pretend that I had it all together as a working parent.

As a result, I became a trusted ear and voice for working parents and was able to better convey the struggles that many of our employees were experiencing. This opened the door for more dialogue, more understanding and much greater empathy in that team, which positively impacted how we navigated the pandemic with and for our employees.

Key learning: Vulnerability opens the door for more authenticity and trust for positive change to happen.

Moment #2: Equity is not a zero-sum game

I was holding a reverse mentoring session with a group of our first-line managers, all of whom happened to be men. A few had the courage to candidly share that they felt alienated and excluded when it came to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). They expressed their support for creating a more diverse and equitable culture but explained that they either didn’t know how or felt fearful about saying or doing the wrong thing. They also shared that they felt a tone of blame for the gaps in the organization, which created a mindset of defensiveness versus a sense of being a welcome part of the problem-solving process.

Their open tone, the trust they extended, and their vulnerability were humbling and inspiring. That moment crystallized for me the importance of inviting all people, not only underrepresented individuals, to the conversation about DE&I. We need to be intentional about listening, seeking to understand and assuming positive intent. And we need to offer learning opportunities and a safe space for those embarking on their own DE&I journeys to express their fears, challenges and questions.

Key learning: Diversity, equity and inclusion is not a zero-sum game. Including all groups, and all demographics — including the majority — is at the core of building a culture that can drive meaningful DE&I progress.

Moment #3: Small acts make a big difference

I work with a communications manager named Dina who helps us put together our Urology town halls, events which are attended by more than 1,000 of our Urology employees around the globe. I happened to be in Dubai last year, during one of our recent town halls, and Dina — who is of Egyptian origin — suggested we have our opening song be a popular Arabic one. She thought it could be a nice way to honor our location and recognize our global team. Right away I thought, “what a fun idea,” but I didn’t think of it as a grand gesture of inclusion.

Soon after the meeting, I received an email from one of our U.S. employees of Arabic descent:

“Meghan, I immediately recognized the Arabic song that was played today and thought to myself, ‘wow, this is so cool.’ I have never been a part of an organization that truly embraces and empowers people to be their true selves, their whole selves. I wake up every morning not only loving my work more but feeling a sense of belonging to the company and striving to do better every day because of what it stands for.”

For me, it was an important reminder of how much small acts matter when it comes to inclusion.

Key learning: Creating an inclusive, equitable work environment takes more than large corporate DE&I initiatives and goals. It is about empowering diverse voices to lead from their own place of authenticity so that they can contribute and shape the fabric of who we are and how we operate.

Learn more about the ways Boston Scientific supports the advancement of women and empowers all employees to bring their authentic selves to work.

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