Diageo North America’s business resource groups help our business to thrive

Diageo celebrates and supports inclusion and diversity.  It is a core value for us, and for our business to thrive we depend on diverse talent, as well as a diverse consumer base.  We embrace viewpoints, experiences, skills and capabilities, knowing they are critical for our growth.

Around the world, we support a variety of business and employee resource groups. These range from our growing women's networks such as Spirited Women in the U.K., U.S., South Africa and Hungary to our African, Asian and Hispanic heritage groups and LGBTQIA+ networks. We believe everyone has a vital contribution to make to our story and we want all our people to feel part of it.

Diageo North America currently has nine active business resource groups (BRGs) that are all inclusive and a hugely valuable resource to the company for recruitment, retention, employee engagement, innovation and community partnerships. It is because of this value that we position our networks as BUSINESS resource groups, actively contributing to our success in many different ways. They represent ethnicity, gender, LGBTQIA+, veterans, sustainability and career development.

These groups have both elected chairs and leadership sponsors and are made up of employees from across our U.S. and Canadian businesses, representing multiple sites and offices.  They allow both leaders and future leaders to develop skills in communications, leadership effectiveness, team building and project management, all while building resilience and forming cross functional relationships.  In addition to focusing on the needs of their communities, these groups have allies throughout the company and an I&D senior leadership counsel, who support and champion their work.

Leading a Business Resource Group like the Pan Asian Network (PAN) at Diageo allows me to bridge my authentic self and my passion for diversity and inclusion into a leadership role that can help deliver business value for the organization.” - Lisa Lee, Senior Innovation Manager, Diageo North America”

Our groups build yearly plans, focused on four core areas – People – attraction, retention and development of diverse talent within the market; Workplace – supporting the creation of a culture that is inclusive; Marketplace – working cross business to identify new opportunities for our brands or commercial agenda; and finally, Partnerships – identifying and nurturing partnerships within our communities and supplier base, where we can support educational or philanthropic causes. 

Day-to-day, the teams mobilize our employees through a regular rhythm of engagement campaigns and communications that unpack their shared passion, while driving change for the future – this can include virtual and face to face outside-in educational panels, thought-leadership stories, recruitment of allies and members, community projects, and brand and commercial activation. 

“I am thrilled to lead our Inclusion and Diversity agenda here in North America. As an out, married woman, this is my dream job, allowing me to be my true self at home … and at work.” - Jeanine Dooley, Head of Inclusion & Diversity, Diageo North America”

Our BRGs not only serve our employee community’s personal and team growth, but they play an integral role in fostering an inclusive culture in the communities in which we live and work. With their experiences, leadership and energy, they create a change for Diageo’s future – all while celebrating life every day, everywhere.