Women in commercial roles at Diageo are thriving

Diageo has a deep-rooted sense of purpose and values so it’s no surprise that a career with the company can be deeply rewarding.

Two areas where team members can make a real impact at Diageo are sales and marketing. Here, colleagues have a responsibility to be ambassadors for Diageo and represent the company on a major scale.

Where Women Work caught up with three impressive women at Diageo who bring their passion to the company’s brands every working day.

Alexandra Bisanz is a Bulleit Brand Ambassador

Alexandra describes herself as “ambitious and straight forward”. She believes that over the past few years, consumers have become more conscious of what they drink and where they drink and this is an exciting development that drives her work each day.

Quality over quantity and good communication

“It´s quality over quantity and people identify themselves over our brands. That´s why we are able to approach different target groups with different brands in different places, more than only in a bar,” Alexandra explains.

As Brand Ambassador for Bulleit Whiskey, networking and communication are critical skills for Alexandra. “Communication with loads of people and strong presence on social media is inevitable. Also, it’s important to be present, spontaneous and willing to walk the extra mile if you want to get really cool projects done,” says Alexandra.

Life as a full-time ‘Bulleit Brand Ambassador’

Through her work, Alexandra contributes to the organisation's bigger picture and direction. She describes herself as a ‘Bulleit brand fanatic’, fully embracing the brand she works for and spreading the word both during and outside of working hours.

Alexandra comments: “As a Bulleit Brand Ambassador I embody the brand I work for, everyone who gets in touch with me will be confronted with Bulleit – both professionally and personally. I celebrate life every day and everywhere and I’m a team player. My work is done when it’s done, and not when the clock hits a certain hour.”

Balancing work-life and home-life

The most challenging part of Alexandra’s role is that there is no set routine.

“There’s no day and no week like the other,” she explains. “I have to attend many events and travel, so I sometimes find it hard to keep up with private activities like Pilates classes, round tables, or even family and friends’ birthdays.”

However, the positive side to this is that Alexandra can meet many great people in lots of different places. She also has the freedom to be creative in how she runs projects and events – and she does occasionally find the time for hobbies such as riding her Harley Davidson motorcycle.

When asked about the kind of traits women should possess to work at Diageo, she cites strong will, lots of patience and clear visions as the essential qualities.

Explaining the company, Alexandra suggests that: “It’s a mix of very different people with very different roles. Ambitions are high and everybody is willing to deliver. That’s how we work together.”

Lisa Wurmböck is a Casamigos Brand Ambassador

Diageo Casamigo brand ambassador

Casamigo Brand Ambassador, Lisa Wurmböck, is another woman who is very ambitious and driven when it comes to her career.

Lisa describes herself professionally as an “ambitious, open-minded, demonstrated team player with strong interpersonal and organisational skills”. Personally, she sees herself as a very family and friends-oriented person who loves to be surrounded by inspiring people.

She describes Diageo as a community-focused business whose strategy is to support premiumisation in developed and emerging countries, and access different consumer occasions with its brands.

“I’m delighted to be part of Diageo and am proud to be a woman working in a still relatively male dominated job and I’m very excited about all the upcoming challenges,” she adds.

A varied and exciting daily work-load

As a Brand Ambassador for Casamigos Tequila/Mezcal in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Lisa’s main role is to get people excited about Mexico’s national beverage, change mind-sets by educating people about the unique brand history, spread the Casamigos philosophy and organise special dedicated events.

Lisa’s daily work routine begins with a cup of Italian coffee, checking her emails, replying to enquiries and answering questions about the new product in Diageo’s Casamigos portfolio. Her work is followed by phone calls to schedule meetings and tastings all over Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In the afternoon she starts visiting some of her local clients, bartenders and gastronomy specialists to discuss future collaborations, work on new cocktail recipes and potential brand activations.

“In my opinion, the most important thing you need to be successful in this job is to be happy about what you do and what you represent. Be sure to stand 100% behind the product and its philosophy, try to engage customers about the unique history and quality, be open-minded, innovative and have strong interpersonal skills. Also, be eager to learn something new every day,” says Lisa.

Listening to others and embracing challenges

Lisa says that she likes everything about her role: “I’m pleased to be part of such a great and innovative team which is always striving for the best. Having the pleasure of representing such a special and great product with a unique history makes me happy and grateful every day.”

Nevertheless, generally there are always challenges with any job and Lisa suggests that when she encounters issues or something unexpected, she knows it’s important to be able to remain open to criticism and to listen to other people’s opinions. “Always try to turn something negative into something positive and implement it into your learning process,” she advises. “Themost important thing is to be yourself and trust in your own capabilities. Be honest, hardworking, optimistic and never lose your passion and spirit.”

Love your work, love your life

“I’m curious, interested and inquisitive about things. In my spare time, I like to be in the nature, and enjoy the mountains while skiing or hiking. I love to travel and learn about new cultures from all over the world,” adds Lisa.

Kirstine Ubbesen is an Account Manager for On-Trade Nordics

Diageo Denmark account manager

Account Manager, Kirstine Ubbesen, believes her personality remains the same in both her professional and personal life. And, in a nutshell, she’s the kind of person who likes to get things done and achieve.

“I like to think outside the box, see the solutions and have a ‘let’s find a way’ attitude,” she explains.

Talking business in Denmark

Working as an Account Manager in Denmark (Copenhagen and the Sealand area), Kristine believes the alcoholic beverages and hospitality sector as a whole are certainly becoming more respected.

“The beverages industry is a serious business. This development is good for our business, because now we can talk business and product mix,” she explains. “The key accounts are getting bigger and bigger – they’re buying single outlets and that makes them even more important to our company.”

Thirsty for a challenge

When it comes to tackling challenges and finding solutions, Kristine aims to do her best no matter what situation she is in. In her role, she is always aware that Diageo’s competitors are only one step behind them – or sometimes one step in front – and this means that she needs to remain vigilant at all times.

“In my career, I always try to focus on the positive things. There will always be small or big challenges no matter what job you have, but I like to focus on the aspects I can change and do better in - and I try not to give too much attention when people are negative. I always try to prepare as best as possible and to always maintain a professional attitude,” she says.

“When it comes to the bigger picture, Diageo is a company that will always be thirsty for more – and I tend to feel the same way.”

Salient career advice

Kristine’s advice for women considering applying for opportunities with Diageo is to find a role that will allow them to make the most of their qualifications and that enables them to truly be themselves.

“We have a winning team culture where everybody contributes to the team and has a ‘yes we can’ attitude. The working hours are flexible and so is the location – but people still expect you to deliver.”

Interestingly, Kristine is also a DJ in her spare time and has a passion for music. She recommends that people should not become too blinkered when pursuing their career goals and cites a female politician who once stated: “If you’re focused on following a career plan, you might not see all your opportunities.” She always keeps this in mind.