One of our core company values centers around our people and ensuring everyone has a voice and feels empowered to bring their true selves and different points of view to work each day. To accomplish this goal, we strive to foster a culture where everyone feels valued, heard, supported, and respected. This is key to ensuring that we authentically connect with the diverse consumers we serve and maintain our reputation as an employer of choice.
Our Stellar Pride Business Resource Group (BRG) plays a vital role in enhancing our culture by advocating for LGBTQ+ employees, driving awareness of factors that impact the life and workplace experience of LGBTQ+ colleagues, and nurturing an inclusive environment through education and engagement.
This Pride Month, we caught up with Michael McGrew, Executive Sponsor of Stellar Pride and EVP, Chief Communications, Strategy, ESG & Diversity Officer, to reflect on our company’s DEI strategy and learn more about recent work from our Stellar Pride BRG.
What is Constellation’s approach to building an inclusive culture and celebrating diversity?
At Constellation, we view this as a business imperative. Our goal is to win with an increasingly diverse universe of consumers. To stay in tune with and on the forefront of emerging consumer trends, preferences, motivations, and behaviors, it’s important to create a workplace culture that reflects our consumers and communities and incorporates their diverse perspectives in our business strategies. To get the full benefit of the diverse talent we bring together, we must create an environment where all employees can bring their authentic selves and different perspectives to work. Over time, this will enable our business to connect to with consumers in authentic ways, aligned with our mission – to build brands consumers love .
Our DEI strategy helps drive a company-wide mindset that weaves diversity, equity, and inclusion into everything we do, enabling us to build an inclusive work culture while staying ahead of today’s evolving consumer landscape. We’ve always believed this is both the right thing to do and critical to building a strong, sustainable business that continues to succeed over the long term.
We believe that celebrating and harnessing the power of our differences makes us stronger. By building a team as diverse as the communities we serve, we will create better products and experiences for our customers and employees.
What role do BRGs, like Stellar Pride, play in bringing this to life?
Our BRGs were created in part to support the unique populations they serve, to enhance inclusion and create a greater sense of belonging, and to encourage relationship-building among colleagues. Stellar Pride is a manifestation of that supportive and purposeful approach to help employees succeed and to foster a greater sense of inclusion through engaging and educational events and activities. Our BRGs help bring employees together around common interests, identities, perspectives, and shared experiences.
Stellar Pride’s mission is to advocate for employees of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, to promote inclusive policies and practices for LGBTQ+ employees, and to engage colleagues in educational activities that help strengthen trust, collaboration, and teamwork across our business. Stellar Pride plays an instrumental role in bringing our inclusive culture to life by elevating LGBTQ+ voices to drive greater awareness and allyship.
How does Stellar Pride help add value to the business and Constellation employees during Pride month and year-round?
Stellar Pride helps advance our business strategy and priorities by:
- Hosting events focused on education, allyship, and advocacy for all Constellation employees, helping to create a strong, unified, and high-performing culture.
- Collaborating with other departments such as Talent Development, Employee Experience, Benefits, and Facilities, to enhance retention by ensuring inclusive language and practices are used throughout our business.
- Creating engaging programming for members of our Stellar Pride BRG by providing opportunities for education and meaningful connection with other members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies at Constellation.
- Providing counsel to support our efforts to build brands people love through campaigns and initiatives seeking to connect with LGBTQ+ consumers in authentic, meaningful, and relevant ways.
- Highlighting challenges and achievements of LGBTQ+ business owners, including retailer partners and entrepreneurs, in the beverage alcohol industry through panel discussions and company events.
BRG membership is also an important contributing factor to employee retention.
What does Pride month mean to you?
Pride month is a time for celebration, reflection, and action in support of our LGBTQ+ colleagues and communities around the world. It offers us an opportunity to amplify the voices of our LGBTQ+ colleagues and provide active allyship to ensure we’re creating an inclusive workplace culture where all team members can reach their full potential.
I’m personally extremely grateful for the work our Stellar Pride BRG does to help educate our team members about the challenges many of our LGBTQ+ colleagues face in both everyday life and in the workplace. These educational sessions have made me more aware and in tune with some of the realities they face, which helps me serve as a more understanding, empathetic, and engaged teammate. Bottom line, I’m a better leader because of their efforts. And the same can be said for many of my colleagues across our business.
We recognize this month as an opportunity to learn, empathize, celebrate, and show support for our LGBTQ+ colleagues and reinforce our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. This is critical to achieving our ambitions and creating a company that is truly Worth Reaching For.