Past Events

Executive Roundtable with Labatt

July 14, 2010
By Patrick Frost

LOT and CYP members took a unique opportunity to visit the Vancouver offices of Labatt Breweries for a casual lunch and presentation. Brad Pennefather, BC Regional Director, Craig Tonini, Human Resources Manager, Jay Osier, Vancouver Sales Manager and several other members of the Labatt team took turns relating their experiences in business.

Keeping true to Labatt’s corporate culture, the presentations were relaxed and informal, but ultimately all about business. Both executives emphasized “dreams, people and culture” as the driving force behind the success seen at Labatt over its 163 year history.

As a proud member of Anheuser-Busch Inbev, Labatt is already part of the biggest beer company in the world. Labatt has six breweries located across Canada and operates in every major region. They carry top brands including Budweiser, Stella Artois, Bud Light and Becks. In addition they carry a surprising number of local Canadian gems such as Alexander Keith’s, Kokanee and Lucky Lager. Now the dream is simply “to be the world’s best beer company in a better world.”

That dream is at the centre of Labatt’s corporate culture and drives its success in a competitive market. Employees are considered to be the most valuable asset at Labatt, and as such are encouraged to grow at the pace of their talent. Good ideas, creativity and merit are rewarded, making it a perfect place for highly motivated people to find success.

Tina Maciejewski, a Field Sales Execution Manager, spoke directly to this culture as she described Labatt’s internal Management Trainee Program to the audience. The program provides the opportunity to learn about Labatt’s entire operation, giving candidates experience in all areas of the business. As a graduate of the program, Tina gained experience in various roles across the country including supply chain and project management. Further information about the program can be found online at www.ab-inbev.com/go/careers/.
After the presentations and a few prize giveaways, the floor was opened up to questions. Everything from Labatt’s history to its use of social media for the recent Bud Light Lime campaign was discussed. All attendees were invited to stay afterwards for further discussion and networking at Labatt’s in-house bar appropriately named, The Beer Institute.

We would like to extend a special thanks to the entire team at Labatt who shared their valuable experiences and time with members of the LOT and CYP Programs. Their continued support is greatly appreciated and more information on Labatt, their brands, and their employment opportunities is available at www.labatt.com.