Beam Suntory's women are continuously harnessing their skills and talent to succeed in their careers. The company believes that by fostering a culture of inclusivity and leveraging the power of diversity of thought, experience and culture in its employees, it can unlock insights and capabilities that drive individual and business growth.

Meet Beam Suntory Bottling Specialist Leader Elizabeth Padilla Lima who is based in Mexico.

An early passion for adventure in Mexico

Elizabeth has lived in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico her whole life and while growing up, she always liked to know how things worked.

"I would investigate different objects around my house, such as opening controls, fans, and other electronics to figure out how they operated," says Elizabeth.

"I was always in search for more adventures and more knowledge. My mother always wondered about my future, since I didn’t follow the pattern of the rest of the girls in my class. But this became a passion," adds Elizabeth.

An engineering background

Elizabeth originally wanted to be a lawyer, but her life took a different turn, and she studied Industrial Engineering.

"I hated math but I was drawn to the magic of finding solutions, designing, and creating relationships with people that I could constantly learn from," she reminisces.

"Throughout my years studying, I was often told this would be my career ‘until I got married’. Not only did I hear this from my fellow students, but from my Professors as well since most students were men. Even my family was confused by my career choice. Most women in my family became teachers. But I liked engineering, and I wasn’t going to stop," Elizabeth explains.

Working in a distillery

From the first time Elizabeth's friend gave her a tour of the Casa Sauza distillery, she was instantly in awe of all the work being done, the processes, and the facility as a whole.

"My friend would always say he had a feeling I would work there one day; he was right. After the tour, my dream of working at Casa Sauza began," reflects Elizabeth.

Elizabeth began working full time at the distillery in 2012 and explains that since then, the number of women being hired is increasing. Beam Suntory is committed to empowering its people to succeed and knows that increasing the number of women in leadership positions is essential to driving business growth and creating greater value for its customers, consumers and society.

"I was the first woman to report directly to a Manager in the Bottling Production area, since then more women have been hired," says Elizabeth.

Tenaciously defying expectations

She continued to work very hard and eventually there was an opening for the Lead Packaging Specialist position.

"This was the first time that a woman held a position at the management level in production areas at Casa Sauza. It started a movement to give women more opportunities," comments Elizabeth.

"I often think about those that believed I would give up. Defying their expectations is what continues to motivate me today," she concludes.

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Beam Suntory believes its people grow together in diverse and inclusive environments where their unique insights, experiences and backgrounds are valued and respected.

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