Thomas McNeil, brewmaster, at Labatt Breweries of Canada.Supplied
At Labatt Breweries of Canada, Thomas McNeil, Edmonton brewmaster, and Maria Degener, vice-president, supply, have more than a little in common. Both started their careers in notable breweries — in London, Ont., Labatt’s hometown, in McNeil’s case, and in Bremen, Germany, home of Beck’s beer, for Degener. Early in their careers, each stepped into a fast-paced, hands-on role running a brewery packaging operation, experiences that cemented their love for the supply-chain side of their business.
And both expressed their appreciation for the way Labatt accelerated their learning curves — and their careers — by making them “comfortable with being uncomfortable,” in McNeil’s words.
“All the key moments in my career had one thing in common,” recalls Degener. “They were all times when, at first, I was definitely out of my comfort zone big time and probably stressed. Looking back now, I can’t believe I was allowed to do that, and I can’t believe I pulled it off. But that’s our culture and culture matters a lot. I had the training and, more importantly, the support I needed,” she says.
“Feedback is ingrained in all our people processes. It’s how we talk, how we do things, and why we can put a lot of confidence in our young leaders to take on a big amount of responsibility.”
McNeil knows that feeling. After finishing his degree in chemical engineering at McGill University, he joined a Labatt trainee program (now known as the Supply Future Leaders Program) in London, Ont., in July 2017. There, McNeil was constantly exposed to different departments, which he says taught him “there’s no such thing as a bad experience — everything is good experience for you to build on.”
By September of that year, McNeil was a manager on night shift working with a 30-member packaging crew. “There was a specific moment when things were a little chaotic, with an operator at a key position calling in sick and a critical piece of equipment breaking down,” he says. “It just clicked for me though as I realized: I actually know the answer to all this, I know who we have to call, and I know what to do.”
Four years later, Labatt sent him to Creston, B.C., to run its brewery there. “Labatt invests in people,” McNeil says. “They sent me across the country at 27 years old to manage an entire operation, giving me an incredible opportunity and the support that let me do it successfully.”
Degener’s own career at parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev has involved several stints in Germany — where she became the first woman to lead a 45-operator packaging team — as well as in Los Angeles and New York before her arrival at Labatt’s Toronto headquarters in 2022. Like McNeil, she views her mobility and willingness to take on new opportunities as crucial factors in providing valuable leadership experience for young talent.
And Labatt, a company committed to attracting, developing and retaining top talent, offers training, mentorship and real-world experience to those ready to take it on.
“We look for people who are down to earth, very curious, ready to move, with a high level of resilience, and willing to get their hands dirty — people unafraid to roll up their sleeves and try new things,” says Degener.
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.