By the time Ike Anyanwu starts his day at HEINEKEN USA’s headquarters in White Plains, New York, he’s already endured a 1½ hour commute and a workout. It’s a testament to the pace he keeps in today’s capricious landscape of the beer industry. Ike (Channel Director, Small Format) is our ‘man behind the curtain’ when it comes to understanding shoppers in the alcoholic beverage aisle. We caught Ike between meetings and email drops to chat about the ways HUSA brings out his passion, why he started a nonprofit, and how being the ‘disruptive’ kid in class shaped his future.
We could tell you that HEINEKEN USA employees are making a positive environmental and social impact on the world, but we’d rather tell you how they’re doing it. HUSA employees are passionate about Brewing a Better World (BaBW), our global agenda that focuses on three main areas: promoting environmental sustainability, building inclusive and diverse communities, and encouraging responsible consumption. And our Brew Good program is helping our employees make it happen.
Remember when it was difficult to find a Mexican beer in a convenience store? Neither do we. That’s because Mexican beer has become exceedingly popular in the U.S. over the last couple decades. And you’ll soon see a new Mexican import on the shelves that towers over the rest. Meet Tecate Titanium. It’s bigger. It’s bolder. It’s simply Tecate-er.
Heineken® 0.0 is not just non-alcoholic beer, it’s beer… without alcohol. The alcohol is gently removed post brewing, then fruity and malty notes are blended back in to reestablish the flavor. The result? A Heineken® brew with zero zero alcohol that really delivers on taste and quality. Since its 2017 launch in Barcelona, Heineken® 0.0 has expanded to 30 markets worldwide. Fast forward to January 2019: Heineken® 0.0 makes its grand U.S. debut!
New Year’s resolutions tend to fall into one of three scenarios. 1. Those that lead to extremely sore muscles. 2. Those that lead to hunger. 3. Those that lead to thirst. We can help with #3. Introducing Heineken® 0.0, our newest beer with the same premium quality and taste, but with no alcohol and only 69 calories. Now beer drinkers have a zero-alcohol option with zero trade-offs for Dry January and beyond.
Ambitious New Year’s resolutions? Good stuff, but may we also suggest a beer? Whether you’re considering a beer without alcohol or simply eager to sample the best of global beers, we got you. HEINEKEN USA has a portfolio of more than 300 international, regional, local, and specialty beers and ciders, each with a story to tell. And our brands are moving the needle on where brands need to be in terms of sustainability and responsibility. Because we know that in order to do well, we also need to do good. HUSA has always set out to be more than a collection of beers.
Brewing a Better World is HEINEKEN’s global commitment to sustainability, responsibility, and building inclusive and diverse communities. It’s also part of how we sell more beer and cider. And selling beer and cider in a changing world takes innovation. At HEINEKEN USA’s National Distributor Conference in Atlanta, we outlined how our Brewing a Better World initiative is making it happen.
When we think about our consumers, they certainly don’t all look the same, act the same, or talk the same. And HEINEKEN USA believes our employees should not only understand our consumers, but also represent them. By now, we know the importance of diversity from a business standpoint – diverse workplaces bring the best results by way of greater creativity, innovation, and perspective. We’ve also learned that diversity reaches beyond gender, race, and ethnicity to include diversity of thought.
25 days. That’s how long Maggie Timoney had been CEO at HEINEKEN USA when she took the stage last week at our National Distributor Conference in the ATL. Her HEINEKEN story began 20 years earlier when she took a role in national sales planning at HUSA. She then held a variety of roles within the company – from sales to strategic planning and distribution – that took her to Amsterdam (where both of her boys were born), then to HEINEKEN Canada as Managing Director, then back to HUSA as SVP of Human Resources, and most recently to her homeland as CEO of HEINEKEN Ireland the last five years.