Attendees will be the first to learn results of the 2023 “Women Raising the Bar” study, best practices for recruiting and retaining diverse talent and hear from industry leaders how they use their superpowers to elevate others
March 1, 2023 (New York, NY) – Women of the Vine & Spirits (WOTVS), the all-encompassing global membership organization, dedicated to boldly pushing the wine, beer and spirits industry toward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive era has announced program details for its annual event, WOTVS Global CONNECT to be held March 8. The annual virtual conference brings together all three tiers of beverage alcohol for a day of expert-lead and motivational panels and virtual networking in celebration of International Women’s Day.
The first two sessions of the event are open only to WOTVS’ 170+ Corporate Member companies, globally, whose employees receive complimentary access to the event. Session 3 is open to the public; ALL WOTVS members and non-members are encouraged to attend.
“We are thrilled to gather to celebrate International Women’s Day, honoring our industry achievements while also committing to propelling further change,” said Deborah Brenner, Founder & CEO of Women of the Vine & Spirits. “Global CONNECT will bring together members across all three-tiers of the industry to learn about actionable initiatives pushing forward diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) and business development & innovation (BD&I). It is through collaboration, connection and commitment that we can create a better industry for all.”
Register for the event here: womenofthevine.com/connect. Registration closes March 6.
Session Details and Confirmed Speakers:
Session 1: Key Findings From the 2023 “Women Raising the Bar” Industry-Specific DEI Study in Collaboration with Deloitte, LLP
WOTVS Corporate Members Only
9:05 AM – 9:55 AM PST / 12:05 PM – 12:55 PM EST
In 2022, WOTVS collaborated with Deloitte to create and launch the first industry-specific Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Baseline Report, “Women Raising the Bar.” Tapping into WOTVS Corporate Members, this initial study established a standardized framework from which to measure organization performance against DEI benchmarks going forward. The fundamental goal was to support organizations in their evaluation of leading practices and to help them drive accountability for building more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces. Join this Main Stage session to get a first-hand look at the results of the yet to be released 2023 study and learn what’s changed, what has remained the same and key takeaways for your company’s DEI initiatives. Additional speaker(s) for this panel to be announced.
- Kimberly Betts, Global Consumer Industry Diversity Equity & Inclusion Leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP
- Marin Heiskell, Senior Manager, Human Capital, Deloitte Consulting LLP
- Steve Myers, President, Distinguished Vineyards & Wine Partners
Session 2: Best Practices in Sourcing, Attracting, and Retaining Diverse Talent
WOTVS Corporate Members Only
10:00 AM – 10:50 AM PST / 1:00 PM – 1:50PM EST
Inclusive and diverse workplaces provide companies with so many advantages, like greater creativity, innovation, greater retention, and more employee engagement, but it can be a challenge to discover or recruit diverse staff and attract diverse talent. So, how might your hiring strategy need tweaking? At the root of it all, job descriptions play a pivotal role in attracting or turning off potential diverse candidates. Like job descriptions, sourcing is fundamental in determining the talent your organization attracts. So, how can you switch things up at the source? What does your recruitment marketing look like? Are you highlighting the strides you have made in procurement, social responsibility, ERG’s? Other areas to be explored during this panel include screening practices, interviewing processes and employee referral programs.
- Sean Connor, Co-Founder and Chief Progress Officer, ForceBrands
- Tiara Chesmer-Williams, Vice President & Head of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity, Moët Hennessy
- Erika Hopkins, Vice President, Culture, Social Responsibility & DEI, Republic National Distributing Company
- Sonal Khokha, Vice President, Global Strategy & Insights (Wine & Spirits), Constellation Brands
Session 3: Activating Your Superpower to Elevate Others
Open to the Public
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM PST / 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM EST
What does activating your superpower mean? What even is your superpower? If you are in a position of leadership at your company, your superpower might be just that, the privilege that comes with being in a leadership role. If you are not in a leadership position, but wanting to make positive change, you too have unique superpowers you can be leveraging today to create and amplify inclusivity. In this session, we will discuss the meaning of privilege as a superpower, the importance of leveraging it, and how we can all tap into our superpowers to elevate our company and others. Attendees will walk away with new awareness and actionable steps to activate their superpower!
- Sarah Bettman, Founder & Principal Consultant, Bettman Consulting Group
- Dan Leese, Chief Executive Officer, Hotaling & Co.
- Cindy Leonard, Executive Vice President, General Manager, Fine Wine Divisions, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
- Dia Simms, Chief Executive Officer, Lobos 1707
WOTVS Global CONNECT Sessions 1 & 2 are open only to employees of Women of the Vine & Spirits Corporate Members. For those interested in Corporate Membership opportunities, please email Elizabeth Boyd at elizabeth@womenofthevine.com.
WOTVS Global CONNECT! registration is generously sponsored by DIAGEO
Sponsors of WOTVS Global CONNECT include Women of the Vine & Spirits Corporate Members: Beam Suntory; Breakthru Beverage Group; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands; Diageo; J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines; Mast-Jägermeister; Moët Hennessy USA; Remy Cointreau; Republic National Distributing Company; Rodney Strong; Shaw Ross International Importers; Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits; Ste. Michelle Wine Estates; The Spearhead Group; The Wine Group.
Women of the Vine & Spirits Corporate Members include Founding Member: Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits; Diamond Members: Breakthru Beverage Group; Bronco Wine Company; Brown-Forman; Frederick Wildman & Sons, Ltd.; Moët Hennessy USA; Republic National Distributing Company; Skrewball Whiskey; and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates; Platinum Members: Beam Suntory; Constellation Brands; J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines; O’Neill Vintners & Distillers; Pernod Ricard USA; Shaw-Ross International Importers; and William Grant & Sons. For a full list of Corporate Members including those at the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Associate level, visit the Corporate Members tab at womenofthevine.com
About Women of the Vine & Spirits
Women of the Vine & Spirits is an all-encompassing global organization, dedicated to boldly pushing the wine, beer and spirits industry toward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive era that supports business development and innovation, empowering all to thrive. Our members connect through our global network and collaborate across all industry sectors. We provide our members with benefits that include education, training, mentorship, and networking as well as tools, services and resources toward DE&I, and personal and business development. For more information, please visit womenofthevine.com.
