thrusting progress in Latin America facing the future
Latin America relies on AB InBev, an ally performing as an agent of change in the territory, able of generating progress leveraging on sustainability
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many previously unknown conditions, at least during our lifetime, which have pushed Latin American’s best traits to the surface along with the leadership of companies such as AB InBev, disrupting their surroundings toward an inclusive future, able to create progress within the territory, assigning intelligence and logistic resources to purposes beyond market operations, evolving into a transformative vision. Carlos Eduardo Lisboa, Zone President at Middle Americas for AB InBev, explains in detail the company’s role within evolving circumstances.
Interviewee Carlos Eduardo Lisboa, Zone President Middle Americas at AB InBev
Produced by Jassen Pintado
AB InBev Middle Americas
FROM YOUR PERCEPTION, WHAT’S THE OUTLOOK IN LATIN AMERICA DURING THE CURRENT PHASE OF THE PANDEMIC? The Latin American market never stops surprising us, as it is a resilient territory. The pandemic had a strong impact on every economy in the world, nevertheless, our territory’s reactivation is happening faster than what we expected due to its emerging economies with several business
As it happens in every country, it will take some time to bring closer certain gaps left by the pandemic, but we are actually witnessing a high index of recovery in home consumption and investment from different sectors, which makes me an optimist about the territory’s outlook. WHICH CHALLENGES IS THE COMPANY CURRENTLY FACING? There are two main challenges that
sectors contributing to this recovery
companies have been facing. The first
and due to these cultures with higher
one is that, besides recovering our
adaptability to crisis management.
volume through the activation of new
Our territory’s reactivation is happening faster than expected due to its emerging economies - Carlos Eduardo Lisboa, Zone President Middle Americas at AB InBev
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necessities and occasions
is the impact left by COVID-19 in
that came up as a result from new
supply chains worldwide, resulting
habits brought by the pandemic,
in scarcity of commodities and
we still must close -in an innovative
goods for production, as well as
way- gaps which are still open; for
challenges in logistic processes.
example, the reconstruction of spaces
This has caused an unusual alteration
and events for social life is key to our
in costs and product availability,
beverage categories.
challenging price and inventory
The second big challenge we face
stability in different industries.
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AB InBev Middle Americas
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AB INBEV IN LATIN AMERICA HAS BEEN ONE OF THE COMPANIES WITH AN INTERESTING POSTPANDEMIC RECOVERY, WHICH FACTORS HAVE BEEN KEY IN THESE RESULTS? There are three determining
phases of this pandemic; we help to
factors in these results. One of the
ties with our main stakeholders
most important is the way in which
significantly.
owners’ culture -which has always
accelerate the recovery process by offering our logistic and commercial strengths to support the countries where clients, partners and consumers operate. This strengthened the
And the last, the soundness
differentiated us- has come up front
we possess to rebuild our strategy,
in a moment of crisis to display
centered in understanding our
a highly autonomous, brave and
consumers’ and clients’ new
innovative team, resourceful when
necessities to transform our
working in conditions of scarcity and
business toward a new context.
with high adaptability, reacting with
We focus on developing affordable
the quickness and creativity of an
brands and packaging in such
entrepreneur, no matter our size.
complex times, economically,
The second factor is the role
driven by a solid innovation agenda
we assumed as we faced our
in order to serve new occasions,
communities’ needs. As a leading
accomplishing also an increase
enterprise, we take seriously the
in innovations in 2020 compared
commitment to support the countries
to previous years, prioritizing our
we operate in during the worst
business model’s digitization.
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AB InBev Middle Americas
WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIONS IS AB INBEV DEVELOPING TO SUPPORT THE TERRITORY’S RECOVERY? First of all, it was key to strive toward our own business’s recovery, knowing we are a highly relevant
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shop owners, among the most important. For the last two years, we offered authorities our logistic strength to distribute supplies and our creative force to accelerate the vaccination
business within the local contexts we
process, we brought entertainment
operate in and that our reactivation
and company to our consumers
means the recovery of thousands of
during the lockdown, we prioritized
businesses and families working hand
the technification and training of local
in hand with us through our value
farmers, and we have protected more
chain: our farmers, business partners
than 50,000 direct and 60,000 indirect
and thousands of small convenience
jobs from Mexico to Peru.
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Without a doubt, our main focus
less than two months, which digitally
has been in helping storekeepers and
connects our clients with consumers
clients become prepared for this new
in their vicinity, developing their
future, not only developing programs
delivery service. Today we have
for our most affected clients, which
more than 1.3 million storekeepers in
are bars and social establishments,
Latin America connected with BEES,
but by thrusting the digital
our new platform for digital sales,
development of our entire client base
helping them get closer to these
through an impactful transformation of
new technologies and optimize their
our own business.
processes. Through BEES, we have
During the worst part of the
brought -at our storekeepers’ disposal
pandemic we developed the Tienda
in seven countries- a marketplace to
Cerca platform (‘Nearby Store’) in
easily find many of the most important
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AB InBev Middle Americas
categories to create value in their
Besides the culture, it is very
businesses, and we’ve also developed important that structures, processes financing services to alleviate their
and goals go hand in hand with this
cash flux; a whole ecosystem which
mentality. Despite our size, we want to
not only contributes to our clients’
become lean and lead transformation,
individual recovery, but also helps
that’s why it’s important we maintain
them in being ready to become a
leveled structures to ensure flow,
fundamental part of the territory’s
to have flexible processes able to
economic recovery.
ensure speed, and to set goals aiming to challenge the status
HOW HAS AB INBEV DEVELOPED THIS TRANSFORMATION CULTURE BEING A VERY ESTABLISHED COMPANY? Previously, I addressed the
quo. As an example, during the
importance of having a culture that,
main necessities, this way we’ve
from its roots, would keep alive the
accomplished agility, creativity and
principles of transformations and
focus on the right initiatives.
that generates in each member of
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pandemic, this allowed us to rearrange into multidisciplinary teams around our consumers’ and clients’
Finally, in multinational companies,
the organization a clear sense of
transformation comes -in great
ownership. We have built it this way
measure- from maintaining a
for decades, in a way that we have
borderless world where we can
already a basis for a different reaction
learn from success in other markets,
during critical times.
accelerating our acting capability.
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The importance of having a culture which keeps transformation principles alive from its roots - Carlos Eduardo Lisboa, Zone President Middle Americas at AB InBev
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AB InBev Middle Americas
“Hoy los negocios necesitan elevar sus competencias en insights y analytics, acelerar sus agendas de innovación - Carlos Eduardo Lisboa, Zone President Middle Americas at AB InBev
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IN THE ACTUAL CONTEXT AND IN YOUR OPINION, WHICH POINTS ARE MANDATORY FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN TODAY’S BUSINESSES? In essence, businesses must have
and they need to increase their competencies in insights and data analytics as fundamental resources to achieve growth, and accelerate their innovations agenda.
an organizational structure that constantly promotes transformation, thus becoming always prepared to create the future, even during critical times. The current context and future are very challenging, and trends are arriving at a more accelerated pace each time, that’s why businesses
WHICH ARE THE COMPANY’S PRIORITIES DURING 2022 IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN THESE RESULTS? In 2022 we want to keep sustaining our positive momentum, and for such we’ll be bringing continuity to our actual focal points, increasing the
today need to be more tech-based,
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AB InBev Middle Americas
We take seriously the commitment to support the countries we operate in - Carlos Eduardo Lisboa, Zone President Middle Americas at AB InBev
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best of our scale and our
our environment and providing a
transformative velocity.
better fulfillment of our clients’ and
We’ll keep focusing on transforming our portfolio to maintain the new
consumers’ necessities. We’ll also keep running in a
spaces achieved during the pandemic, community-centered way, being an but also leading those to be recovered
active part not only during recovery
with reactivation.
but also in the long-term development
We’ll keep betting on digital
of our territory to keep fortifying our
transformation, using the power
purpose of creating a future with more
of data to keep strengthening
reasons to give a toast.
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