May 1, 2022
Passionate about creating a better world and enabling growth among Anheuser-Busch employees and business, John is responsible for leading teams to deliver a more sustainable future and a resilient, dynamic and efficient supply chain. John joined Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2012, and has since held various positions across Europe and Africa focusing on agricultural development, procurement, technology and business operations.
John led the design and launch of Anheuser-Busch’s SmartBarley program, a global platform supporting farmers across the world, and most recently was responsible for leading the business operations and digital transformation agenda in Africa before stepping into the role of U.S. Chief Sustainability and Procurement Officer. Prior to his time with Anheuser-Busch, he worked with Root Capital, providing business and investment support. John holds a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from NC State University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
John Joins Sustainable Nation to Discuss:
- Anheuser-Busch's main sustainability focuses: renewable energy, water, agriculture, and packaging
- Sourcing ingredients and how sustainability is incorporated into the supply chain
- Anheuser-Busch's SmartBarley program
- How Anheuser-Busch reached 100% renewable electricity with the Budweiser Wind Farm and Anheuser-Busch solar farm
- Reducing emissions in transportation/distribution
- Advice and recommendations for sustainability leaders
John's Final Five Questions Responses
What is one piece of advice you would give other sustainability professionals that might help them in their careers?
For me it would be to really learn the business. To my last thoughts on our sustainability team, I think it's so important to learn the business, to understand the different elements of our strategy, of how we're connecting with consumers, to customers, to all the aspects of our value chain. I think this integration is really relevant to driving change and to ensure that we understand the intensions and we understand the value propositions, we understand how we can bring innovation into sustainability. Sustainability is not on the side. It's totally integrated within and it's a part of our management system. It's a part of our strategy, it's a part of our actions. I think as a sustainability professional, having that knowledge and experience is really important. My last role before coming back to the United States was in Africa leading technology in our business operation. There was nothing in my title that was sustainability, but that experience for me was so meaningful to learn different parts of the business. Obviously in a different market like Africa that has different challenges and different opportunities. Learning technology by leading the technology team in Africa— super relevant now to come back to a more formal sustainability role incorporating that knowledge and applying that to the impact and the acceleration of our agenda. Think of sustainability broadly, don't think of it as a narrow niche, think of it as something that really needs to be enabled across the entire business that requires that business experience and understanding.
What are you most excited about right now in the world of sustainability?
I think the energy. Ten years ago when I joined Anheuser-Busch and we were talking about agriculture, we were talking about it in a very different way. We were talking about how meaningful it was and how important it was, where now it's fundamental. Sustainability is our foundation. It's gone from important to fundamental. I think the energy within our business is represented in many other organizations that are really leaning in and integrating this into their core strategy. For me that's incredibly exciting. I think we see it in the ambitions set forward by many around net zero and taking the risk, knowing that there's a lot to learn, there's a lot that we don't understand, but we all know that that's such an important mission. Seeing that energy is incredibly exciting. Seeing the evolution of the work of sustainability, something that was maybe niche a decade ago, that's now core, fundamental, and at our heart is awesome. We've got to make sure that deliver on that opportunity.
What is one book you would recommend sustainability leaders read?
A book that was really meaningful in my life was The Blue Sweater written by Jacqueline Novogratz. This was personally at a really formative period when I was transitioning from being a design engineer to get back into agricultural development. I was thinking about what that would look like and what that would mean. That book opened my eyes and mind to thinking about business in a very different way - social enterprise and the role of business and society solving really meaningful societal challenges. Ultimately that's at the core of sustainability- how as a business do we solve the problems and the needs of our consumers and our customers so that our business can sustain and grow and achieve all of our missions and goals. That book really brought that to life through really relevant innovation and pushing a frontier on how do we bring finance to the missing middle especially in markets such as Africa where those institutional voids are so relevant and pressing, and the role that business can play in funding and investments, taking the right risks with a triple bottom line mindset. That would be one book I'd recommend. It meant a lot to me and certainly shaped the last 12 years of my life and career.
What are some of your favorite resources or that really help you in your work?
The power of networks is so important. I've had the opportunity to stay connected to different sustainability networks and colleagues. I have a learning group of sustainability professionals that I met many years ago. I think those types of networks are just so important. There's always so much to learn in this space as it evolves. Having people that are close to us that are in a different company, in a different industry, but connected to this ever growing and broadening topic around sustainability has continued to be where I really find a lot of inspiration and learning. I would recommend strengthening those networks if you have them. If you don't have them find them and contribute to them, and certainly you'll value from those networks.
Where can our listeners go to learn more about you and the work being done at Anheuser-Busch?
Our website anheuserbusch.com. That'll also link you to our global websites as well. You'll find some good information around our sustainability goals and some of our use cases and stories of progress. Certainly feel free to follow me on LinkedIn. I always try to share some of the interesting work that we're doing and what we think can be an inspiration to others.