Diageo’s Academy of Beverage Leadership Transforms Emerging Sales Talent into Category Experts

18 Aug 2025 North America

An academy empowering sales professionals to take their career to the next level.

In today’s competitive beverage alcohol landscape, customers are seeking more than just exceptional products, they want partners to deliver insight, strategy, and value. To meet this demand, in 2024, Diageo North America designed, built, and launched the Academy of Beverage Leadership (ABL) in collaboration with Deloitte Consulting, the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, and Enthuse Marketing. The ABL was created as a five-month immersive learning experience to transform sales professionals into Agave and Whisk(e)y experts and strategic business partners. The program’s curriculum includes over 140 hours of tailored content delivered by industry leaders and educational experts, helping prepare ABL participants to confidently address the market's evolving challenges.

The ABL sets out to achieve the following:

Increase knowledge within the Whisk(e)y and Agave categories
Enhance individual capabilities to serve as business advisers
Improve workforce engagement and effectiveness
Advance the overall beverage alcohol industry

Over the course of this journey, ABL learners grow alongside peers from across the country and experience a blend of virtual modules with in-person workshops and scenario-based simulations, all designed and delivered by industry-leading facilitators from Deloitte and Enthuse Marketing, and esteemed faculty from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Through nine small-group coaching sessions, ABL participants are mentored by seasoned leaders, managers and directors, who guide them in applying knowledge in-market and building the confidence to lead.

Early Results and Outcomes:

99 %

completion rate based on percentage of participants who met academy requirements and standards.

127 %

knowledge improvement across nine priority learning areas.

97 %

of learning objectives met.

95 %

learner satisfaction with their overall Academy experience, curriculum content and relevance, and instructors.

Beyond the numbers, ABL offers a distinct experience to learners, enabling them to take their career to the next level. Collaborating with the #1 ranked executive education provider in North America, the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, ABL provides a curriculum that's both challenging and relevant to today's business landscape. ABL sets the gold standard of industry training with its rigorous, consumer-centric curriculum, empowering graduates to deliver exceptional business value and drive sustainable growth.

At Diageo, we believe in investing in people as much as we invest in our brands. With the Academy of Beverage Leadership, we’re raising the bar on what it means to lead in the field and shaping the next generation of category champions.