Beam Suntory names Victoria Russell as its first Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer

Premium spirits company Beam Suntory has named Victoria Russell as its first Chief Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Officer.

“We are determined to build a workforce that looks more like our consumers, and we’ve set ambitious goals to accelerate the progress we’re making,” said Beam Suntory CEO Albert Baladi. “The people of Beam Suntory are passionate about continuing to build our diverse and inclusive culture, and we’ve created the position of Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer to elevate our approach. I’m delighted Victoria will take on this important leadership role, and I’m confident that she is the leader who can help take our work to the next level as she works hand-in-hand with our brand teams, employee impact groups and leaders across the business.”

Russell will join the company’s Senior Leadership Team on 11 January 2021. In this newly created role, she will lead D&I across talent acquisition, career development and employee retention, marketing and community relations. She will help to build organisational capability to better recognise bias and further drive inclusive mindset. Russell will also support the development of diversity guidelines for the company’s supplier base, and will work directly with employee impact groups and leaders across the business. 

HIGH-IMPACT LEADER

Russell will report directly to Chief Human Resources Officer Paula Erickson “with a dotted line to Baladi”, said the company. “We are very excited to welcome a D&I leader of Victoria’s calibre to Beam Suntory,” Erickson said. “She is a high-impact leader with a solid track record of performance not only across business, but also the community. Her talents and expertise will allow us to accelerate our efforts as we build a diverse and inclusive culture as a source of strategic competitive advantage.”

Russell joins Beam Suntory following a successful 14-year career at Louisville, KY-based Papa John’s International, ultimately being the first to lead Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the brand. In that role, Russell was credited with step-changing the company’s actions to build a diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation comprised of 120,000 team members. Russell previously held marketing analytics roles of increasing responsibility, providing valuable insights into the business, and the customers and communities they serve.

Commenting on the new role, Russell said: “I am thrilled to be joining Beam Suntory at this critical moment for businesses, and for our society. Beam Suntory’s leaders understand both the economic and equitable benefits to fully embracing inclusivity as a strategic imperative, not just for our organisation, but for our industry and society at large. I am honoured to bring stewardship to this evolving journey.”

Prior to Papa Johns, Russell held compensation and marketing roles at Lexmark, Humana, and Brown-Forman. She has been recognised as a “Woman Making a Difference,” and selected as one of Louisville’s 40 Under 40.