Orient - The Official Magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore - Issue 66 May 2018 - Page 39
(contd.) IN FOCUS INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR: SAM FISCHER, PRESIDENT, GREATER CHINA & ASIA, DIAGEO By Lucy Haydon
With scotch whiskey, it is an investment, there is an educational element, it is aspirational with multiple participation levels, it is rare, it is finite, it is not something that is accessible to all, so we realised that there is a significant community building who were looking for unique experiences and the opportunity to learn more. We tried a few different things, such as the Johnnie Walker Houses and unique ranges of products, but the private suites, based in our offices, are invitation-only and combine many of the elements this subset of clients are looking for. The experience begins with the history and stories, access to talk to the world’s leading experts back in Scotland, showcases of products, sampling of course which is a highly personal experience based on the person’s tastes, and eventually bespoke purchasing opportunities. We also have a Finishing Centre in Tuas for luxury products, where a customer can request a customised design for their bottles. I read with interest the news of the investment in the Johnnie Walker visitor experience and upgrades to existing visitor centres in Scotland. With a strong Scottish contingent throughout the British Chamber in Singapore, our readers will be interested to learn more We have an immense amount of pride in our brand homes and their heritage. For example, the Guinness factory in St. James’s Gate, Dublin, is not only a fantastic physical space and tour, it is a wonderful, proud moment for the brand. With scotch whiskey, we saw an opportunity for us to build brand homes that tell those stories. The GBP100m investment in Edinburgh is a reflection of this and the general increase in Scottish tourism investment. We are also upgrading visitor centres for our classic malt brands, all to create a fuller whiskey experience for people. Diageo as a global company has a strong diversity and inclusion culture. For SG50 you were a “Champion of Change” for Boardagender, and recently Diageo Plc has joined the LGBT+ “Open for Business” alliance of companies committed to supporting inclusion. How is this drive implemented at a local level in the workplace culture? It starts with the senior level, where women currently make up 44% of our Board, 40% of our Executive Committee and 30% of our global senior leadership team. We do very well in general across the region in senior leaders though there is always work to do. Why do we do this? Not because we have targets to hit as a tick box exercise. It is diversity of style, of culture, of gender, that has allowed us to build examples within our own business of diverse teams delivering better results. So it comes from a core belief that having diverse teams allows us to have a far richer conversation around the various options, so that we can make better decisions that lead to better performance. You have to start there, with everyone on board with the reasoning. Unless people have that core belief that diversity will be a key component of the company’s success, you will never shift the dial. Then you get into the talent pipelines, and how to effect change. How do we create an inclusive environment that fosters diversity, particularly within senior management? When we are recruiting, how do we make sure that we have the opportunity in the process to consider everyone fairly? It runs throughout the business and we do get more prescriptive to implement policies, but it must start with the belief. An inclusive environment, where people feel comfortable in progressing and pursuing their careers without unconscious bias, has to be continually fostered. Positive intent is not enough to achieve the kind of results we have seen. There are lots of capable women in our business who may not have not considered senior leadership or we have not helped to create the right environment to give them confidence to work around their other considerations such as family, so we have to continue to work on this inclusiveness. At a brand level, on International Women’s Day this year we launched a “Jane Walker” expression of Johnnie Walker to show that Diageo stands for women’s progress. This received mixed reviews as some thought we were commercialising the subject, but we are proud of our progress. I happened to have one of only 250 bottles produced, the only one in Singapore, and brought it out during a speech at the Lean-In function happening in our office that day to a standing ovation. (contd.)