Women In Beverage
Nearest Green . During that time I realized how important it was for Nearest ’ s legacy to never again be forgotten .
The only reason we ’ re still talking about Johnnie Walker , Jim Beam and Jack Daniel is because we are still sipping on their spirits and seeing their names everywhere . So , in order to cement the legacy of Nearest Green , I knew I would need to do the same with an award-winning spirit that was worthy of his legacy .
What makes you a successful leader ? I am authentic , transparent , and lead from my heart and trust my gut . I am unwavering in my faith and treat my team as though they are the most invaluable part of this business , because they are .
How important is mentorship ? Did you receive any coming up , and do you provide it to women in your organization ? Mentorship is incredibly important for many people . I received very little coming up — really , I received none . But I was a voracious learner and reader , and learned mostly everything I needed to know through reading the advice of other successful people , and then applying it to create my own experiences .
Fawn Weaver I am wired quite differently than most ,
however . My personality type ( INT — introverted , intuitive , thinking and judging ) makes up less than 1 % of the world . So , my approach was very different from what the majority of the world needs . Mentorship is important for most coming up in our industry and in business overall .
How has your company benefited from having women at the table making decisions ? We are able to compartmentalize much better than men , I believe , and thus benefited greatly during the pandemic and in other crises . Women have long proven to be more effective leaders .
8 2021 Women in Beverage
Who are your professional role models ? Warren Buffett , J . P . Morgan ( and Jr .), Andrew Carnegie , Oprah Winfrey .
Julie Milroy & Bridget Albert
Julie Milroy is vice president of on-premise , and Bridget Albert is national director of education , Beam Suntory , for the distributor Southern Glazer ’ s Wine & Spirits .
How did you get into the beverage alcohol business ? JM : My mother owned restaurants growing up where I would work after school and during summers . I understood early on that the alcohol revenue stream was instrumental in keeping the restaurant buzzing and profitable .
In my late 20s , I decided to make a career change from real estate to the wine industry when I had the opportunity to tour Walla Walla and Willamette Valley with a sommelier friend . I applied to a few companies in Miami using Winejobs . com and landed a sales opportunity with Vinifera Imports & Distributing .
After almost three years of immersion into fine Italian wine and the sommelier scene in Miami , I had an opportunity to join Southern Wine & Spirits as a sales consultant . Today , we are Southern Glazer ’ s Wine & Spirits and I am national VP of on-premise representing the Beam Suntory portfolio .
BA : I come from a long line of female bartenders . My great grandmother , great-great Aunt Tilly , and my grandmother bar backed when they were very young at the tavern my family owned in Coal City , Illinois .
This tavern was closed well before I was born ; however , I grew up with their colorful stories that left me inspired . I have done just about every job at the bar , from dishes to bartending , in the course of my 26-plus years in our industry . I was even a flight attendant for Trans World Airlines .
Hospitality is all I know , and it is in my blood . It wasn ’ t until I moved to Vegas in 1998 and was hired at the Bellagio as a bartender that I truly began to appreciate our craft , cocktails , and all the madness that goes with the gig .
This is where I met my mentor , Tony Abou-Ganim . He changed my life for good . Under his teaching , my eyes were opened to a whole new world in our industry that led to many amazing opportunities , including world travel , an incredible gig , but most of all , the many friends that I have made , most I consider family .
What makes you a successful leader ? JM : It starts with humility and empathy . I come from a matriarchal household where my mother kept us all happy , healthy , and thriving . She taught us the value of integrity , work ethic and to never assume things will just happen without ambition , determination and adding value .
I ’ m always thinking of past learnings , how to improve in the moment and how my choices and actions will impact my future . It ’ s very similar to chess , never by chance , always strategic .
BA : Being a successful leader is not actually taking the “ lead ” or taking over . It is creating an environment that is open and welcoming , where people feel safe and confident to succeed with your support . While at the same time , as the leader you need to take the step back so they can shine .
How important is mentorship ? Did you receive any coming up , and do you provide it to women in your organization ?
JM : I would not have the successful career I ’ ve had without the many mentors and mentees that have supported me along the way and continue to do so . I gravitate toward people with
Julie Milroy
Bridget Albert