We're a global leader in premium drinks, the exciting consumer products space. 200 brands. 180 countries. Diageo
Our first joint project was to bring smallholder farmers with disabilities into our supply chain. Since then, we have also adapted our Diageo Bar Academy to ensure people with disabilities can take part in the latest series of bartending training.
We spoke to Watson Waiyaki, Channel Development Manager, who is responsible for the Diageo Bar Academy training in Kenya, to learn first-hand what it’s like to be part of such an important initiative.
- Tell us about your role at Diageo, what do you enjoy most about it?
I’m a Channel Development Manager for the On Trade Market in Kenya, and I am also responsible for developing and executing the Diageo Bar Academy training in the country. Diageo Bar Academy (DBA) is a network that helps train bar professionals and drives advocacy and loyalty for our brands through bar staff and bar owners. In the past year, we have enhanced the capability of 10,000 bar staff across Kenya through training, master classes and online engagements.
- Earlier this year Kenya Breweries Limited launched a Diageo Bar Academy programme specifically for people with disabilities. Tell us about this programme? Why is this project important?
As part of our Inclusion and Diversity agenda, we partnered with Sightsavers, a charity dedicated to the rehabilitation of adults who are irreversibly blind, to launch a Diageo Bar Academy programme specifically for people with disabilities. In order to ensure the programme was inclusive, we carefully identified and selected premises that were accessible, as well using interpreters during the course of the training programme. As a result, we trained 31 people living with disabilities with core bar skills that will help them gain employment in the bar industry. It’s great to be involved in a partnership that allows us to support the lives of those in the communities that we operate in.
Through Diageo Bar Academy, Diageo is committed to providing skills and training to 1.5 million people globally by 2030. Upscaling the knowledge and capability of our bar staff, enabling them to better serve our consumers, and grow themselves professionally makes me really proud. Furthermore, the partnership with Sightsavers highlights our commitment to creating a more inclusive society.
- How does this programme support our Spirit of Progress action plan?
Our commitment to promoting positive drinking is a core pillar of our Spirit of Progress action plan. We want to change the way the world drinks for the better, celebrating moderation and continuing to address the harmful use of alcohol. Through training the bar community, we actively promote positive drinking and empower people with knowledge and awareness of what it means to drink responsibly.
Additionally, the partnership with Sightsavers helps champion inclusion and diversity, another key part of our Spirit of Progress action plan.
- What would be your advice for anyone looking to join Diageo?
Diageo is a great company to work for. Since joining as a Graduate Management Trainee 13 years ago, I’ve had the freedom to express myself and succeed in any project I’ve worked on. The opportunity for growth is there for anyone who applies themselves. So, if you’re looking to work with great brands, to help consumers celebrate life, to be yourself and grow whilst at it, take the step to join us – you won’t regret it.