What Anheuser-Busch Seeks In MBA Hires

Describe the Anheuser-Busch InBev Culture.

The culture is very clear and unique. What really brings it all together is our Dream-People-Culture platform which is rooted in our 10 Principles and is the driving force behind our culture, our performance, and everything we stand for as a company.

First of all, we are extremely results-oriented. We’re always looking to do better, and hungry to achieve more. That’s why we are looking for people that show this drive and ambition and that are not afraid to go outside their comfort zone

Second, we’re very entrepreneurial, which might be surprising. We are self-starters and initiative takers who are comfortable with ambiguity.

Third, we’re extremely fast-paced, so we believe in the 80/20 rule.  We are very analytical and make decisions based on facts and data. Once we feel we have enough data to make a decision, we’ll go for it and we’ll go really fast.

Also, we’re very candid and informal. We do not have any offices. Even the CEO, Carlos Brito, sits out in the open with everyone else. This helps with speed of decisions and execution.  We don’t have hidden agendas. We are very straightforward and give people immediate feedback. Hierarchy and titles are really not that important here. It’s all about what is right for the company, and delivering results.

And most importantly: Ownership is critical. We believe that everyone in the company is an owner and must take responsibility for the results.

What kinds of skills does Anheuser-Busch InBev anticipate needing in the coming years that the company may not possess now?

Our dream is to be the best beer company bringing people together for a better world.

We want to continue driving topline growth and connect our brands with consumers around the globe, with special attention to Millennials. To achieve that, we need disruptive and innovative thinkers who are always eager to learn new things and deliver on new challenges. With MBAs, we want out-of-the-box ideas. We absolutely want to continue to think and act as an insurgent and be game changers and anticipate consumers’ desires and needs.

We may not know the exact skills we will need for the future, but we do know that we need the right people with the right mindset to lead us into the future.

What advice would you give to students who have their hearts set on working for you? How can they enhance their job prospects?

Get as familiar as possible with our culture. Talk to as many people as possible that work or have worked for Anheuser-Busch InBev. And then be truly honest with yourself and ask, ‘Is this the right environment for me?’ If the answer is ‘yes’ and we also feel there is a match, you can count on our company offering you a challenging, rewarding and diversified career path.

Recruiting can be a two-way street. What has Anheuser Busch InBev done to make itself more appealing to MBA candidates?

The Global MBA Program is a 12-month, high-potential leadership program that hires MBAs into a specific business area with the long-term potential to move cross-functionally and geographically throughout their career.

We only want to hire and retain the top MBAs who have the potential to take on senior leadership roles. From the start, they get exposure to our Executive Board of Management (the company’s C-suite).

The program begins with a one-week global induction at our Global Management office in New York City where they’ll meet with members of our senior leadership team. Here, they’ll be put into small groups with fellow MBAs and receive an Innovation Challenge Project. They’ll present this project at the Capstone graduation week at the end of their first year with us.

The program also offers two deep dives. A deep dive is a one-week in-depth training opportunity in sales, supply, operations or marketing in one of our geographic zones— giving them an unparalleled insight into different areas of our business. Learning directly from some of our best will help them make strong professional connections and give them a well-rounded overview of the diverse group of people that make up our business. Throughout the program, they’ll be assigned a mentor from the senior leadership team to advise and guide them.