Brittney Blackmon is an Associate Brand Manager at Beam Suntory from Durham, North Carolina, USA.

With experience in sales and marketing, she has a proven ability to perform market and data analysis, convert insights into strategic marketing plans, lead diverse teams, and work independently to achieve brand objectives. Her areas of expertise include brand management, luxury marketing, multicultural marketing, sales management, competitive analysis, agency management, promotions and events.

After studying marketing at Howard University in Washington D.C., Brittney worked in field sales and marketing for ExxonMobil. She then pivoted into the wine and spirits industry with roles at distributor Empire Merchants, Off-Premise Area Sales Manager at Proximo Spirits, and On-Premise Portfolio Specialist for Moet Hennessy’s brands.

In the summer period during a two year full-time MBA at Cornell, Brittney did an internship with Beam Suntory in Chicago. Subsequently, Brittney moved from New York to downtown Chicago to start her job at Jim Beam Global Brand House, a brand owned by Beam Suntory. This was a “nice change of scenery” for Brittney. Chicago is a “beautiful, affordable city” and she loves that she can walk to work.

Brittney shares her experience as a Beam Suntory intern, her favorite moments, and how she was supported by the company.

Sharing the same passion for diversity and inclusion 

Brittney was initially drawn to Beam Suntory because both she and the company share the same passion to support programs that promote diversity and inclusion in business. These programs include MBA Jumpstart, through which Brittney initially discovered the company, as well as National Black MBA Association. 

Day-to-day responsibilities as a Beam Suntory intern

During her internship at Beam Suntory, Brittney developed on-premise trade strategy for Jim Beam Black to shift channel mix to own more on-premise and to improve the trade’s perception of the brand.

She was also invited to attend Tales of the Cocktail bartender conference in New Orleans, which for Brittney was “a dream come true”. At the conference, she researched how Beam Suntory’s brands and competitors engage with the trade, bringing those learnings back to her team. 

Finally, she also visited the Jim Beam and Makers Mark distilleries in Kentucky to learn how our brands are made, "which was awesome,” she adds.

Receiving support from employees at ERGs

Brittney benefited from a supportive workplace environment at Beam Suntory. She was matched with Associate Brand Manager Annie Gorman, who served as an “intern buddy” with whom Brittney met weekly to help her refine her presentation. Brittney also joined Beam Suntory’s Black employee resource group, BOLD, participating in events which made her feel included. Plus, there were many training and networking activities scheduled for interns to increase their engagement in the company.

After Beam Suntory’s support, Brittney is paying it forward by taking on the role of an intern buddy herself, while also helping to recruit more diverse talent by joining BOLD’s Recruitment committee.

Finally, Brittney shares what she has learned while working at Beam Suntory: “Not only what you do matters, but how you do it is equally important.”

Sharing a passion for diversity and inclusion 

Women like Brittney are forging rewarding careers at Beam Suntory within its supportive workplace environment. 

Whether joining as an intern or as an experienced professional, check out all the current job vacancies available with Beam Suntory.

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