Over the past decade, the Drinks Association’s Inclusive Leadership Mentoring Program has become a defining leadership initiative for the industry. What began as a targeted effort to support women in a traditionally male-dominated sector has evolved into a broader program focused on inclusive leadership capability, industry connection and cultural change.
Launched in 2017 in partnership with Serendis Leadership, the program was shaped by early industry research that highlighted the scale of the gender gap across leadership. At the time, women held just 2 per cent of C-suite roles and 22 per cent of senior leadership positions. The program was designed to support progression while also helping the industry better understand the systemic barriers shaping leadership pathways.
“The program initially had two key aims,” says Julie Washington, Director at Serendis Leadership. “The first was to support the career acceleration of the female mentees. The second was to help the industry understand some of its systemic challenges to start then to create a shift in the culture.”
An evolving approach
Over time, the program has expanded to reflect a broader understanding of inclusion and leadership. Originally designed for female mentees, it later opened to participants of all genders, recognising that meaningful cultural change requires the entire industry to be involved.
“What we’ve collectively recognised is that if you want to enhance a culture of inclusion, you need to be inclusive and include all people in that conversation,” Julie explains. “It’s not about thinking about diversity from an identity perspective but about how we can celebrate differences in backgrounds, perspectives and thinking styles and create an environment where we can challenge, disagree and debate. That’s the diversity that really adds value to business.”
This shift has helped reposition inclusion as a core leadership capability. The program has continued to evolve alongside the industry, introducing structured tools and frameworks to support more purposeful mentoring conversations and deeper self-awareness for both mentors and mentees.
Building confidence and connection
At the centre of the program is the mentoring relationship. Pairing emerging leaders with experienced mentors from across the industry creates space for honest conversations and practical development. The impact is often seen in growing confidence, clarity and leadership ambition.
“The mentees come away with a sense of self-efficacy, confidence and capability that they actually have what it takes,” Julie says. “They just need that guide and sounding board of their mentor and they need access to the tools and frameworks that we share with them.”
Participants also leave with stronger industry networks – connections that often become one of the program’s most enduring outcomes.
“The intelligent, enthusiastic and bright emerging leaders that come through the program leave as part of a community of other really driven leaders,” Julie says. “The diversity of someone’s network is a key enabler in building a more strategic mindset because it’s all about broadening their perspective.”
Since its launch, almost 400 people across the drinks industry have taken part. Many return later as mentors, creating a cycle of development that continues to strengthen leadership capability across organisations.
A shared investment in the future
The program’s success reflects the willingness of leaders across competing organisations to invest in one another’s development for the collective good. It is increasingly recognised not as a standalone initiative, but as a strategic enabler of capability and culture at a time when leadership roles are becoming more complex and demanding.
“The industry should congratulate itself on its generosity,” Julie says. “The people who come on the program participate for the greater good of the industry and there’s a real spirit of generosity in that.
“Initiatives like this help everyone to see that inclusion is a strategic enabler and not just a nice-to-have.”
For Drinks Association CEO Georgia Lennon, the program’s impact reflects that shared commitment.
“For ten years, the Inclusive Leadership Mentoring Program has helped shape a more connected, confident and inclusive industry,” she says. “What started as an initiative to support career progression has grown into a powerful community that is strengthening leadership capability across the drinks sector.”
A decade on, the program’s legacy is visible in the confidence of emerging leaders, the strength of cross-industry networks and the growing recognition that inclusive leadership is essential to the industry’s future.
The cross-industry Inclusive Leadership Mentoring Program is available to Category One Members and Partners of the Drinks Association.