Diversity, allyship and success combine at KDP Canada

When veteran Keurig Dr Pepper Canada executive Olivier Lemire became president of the company in 2021, he was already deeply committed to KDP Canada’s initiative to intensify its diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts. “We all feel strongly that it is part of our core values, to be a truly diverse and inclusive workplace, where people have a sense of belonging, and I think it’s paying dividends now in the culture of the organization,” says Lemire.

The Montréal-based beverage-maker’s D&I drive has already made an impact. In Canada, female representation in leadership roles is now over 35 per cent, surpassing the broader company’s goal of 33 per cent by 2025. The group health insurance plan responded to employee needs and has been retooled in Canada to offer support for fertility treatments (for men and women), contraception and increased coverage for mental, physical and financial health.

The eight employee resource groups, which cover a range of self-identification from LGBTQ+ to parents and caregivers, all have “and allies” as part of their names. That is a very important addition for Lemire.

“The concept of allyship is powerful,” he says. “You want to create momentum around it. For D&I, you want allyship to become part of the mindset and behaviour in everyone. For people to raise their hand and be an ally to certain groups definitely carries a strong voice and considerably adds to the sense of inclusion – we don’t want to create silos.”

Most significant to the KDP Canada president, though, is the 87 per cent response rate from employees to the annual engagement survey. “We ask specific questions pertaining to D&I – do you see it as a priority for the organization? Do you believe we’re making progress? Are we holding to our commitments? When people feel it’s authentic, you get a high rate of feedback, because that means they trust that their voices will be heard. Inclusion drives a strong sense of engagement, and a highly engaged workforce is what powers the best-performing organizations,” Lemire says.

Névine Bouzakhm, KDP Canada’s supply chain director, has the same outlook when talking about her still male-dominated field. “About a year ago, D&I became the focus for the supply chain team in particular. Our chief supply chain officer had a conference call with about a dozen women working in the supply chain team. And that lit a fire under us. We met and discussed our ideas, including raising the ratio of women in supply chain. We’ve made strides already; for instance, we’ve gone from one female site director to three. And this was accomplished by working together, with fantastic backing from senior management,” she relates.

“It all ties tightly together,” says Lemire, “in a way that is critical to recruitment and retention. In addition to engagement and performance, D&I brings openness and a variety of perspectives, so we see people grow their careers within KDP Canada and develop their knowledge and skills in-house.

“And when attracting new talent,” he continues, “the reality is what companies end up offering is less and less the specifics of their roles, and more and more their vision, values and culture, and we at KDP Canada believe we have a lot to offer.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top 100 Employers winners, published November 17, 2023 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.

KDP Canada unlocks talent through opportunity

Stéphanie Boyer arrived at Keurig Dr Pepper Canada (KDP Canada) as a self-described “category management geek” in 2020, and rapidly expanded her scope as she rose through the ranks.

Four years later, as senior manager of partnerships, Boyer has had an eye-opening career development she says is rooted in KDP Canada’s dynamic workplace culture.

“My path has shifted tremendously,” says Boyer. “What was my sales career now touches not just marketing but through my partnerships responsibilities also plays into legal and supply chain, giving me a 360-degree view of the business.

“My work involves new passions I wouldn’t have dared to pursue without the opportunities KDP Canada has offered. If the company sees potential and you show interest, there are real possibilities. For me, it has been a tremendous experience that has opened many doors,” Boyer says.

KDP Canada’s expanding business and flexible approach has created a host of opportunities for its employees to display their talents, says Jean Gagnon, senior director of the cold beverages business unit. “Many of us, including myself, who came to KDP Canada in 2019, have been faced with situations and challenges that were unrelated to our past experiences,” Gagnon says.

“So those who have the agility to learn, are curious and willing to embrace the pace, and have what I call the ‘owner mindset’ that’s needed to make things happen, can achieve a lot, even if it’s not something that they’ve done in the past,” says the senior director.

Boyer and Gagnon agree that for all the beverage-maker’s employee benefits – including exceptional parental leave policies and enhanced mental-health practitioner support – it’s the corporate culture that matters most in recruitment and retainment.

And not just on the opportunity front. “Colleagues genuinely care for one another,” Boyer says. “My main value has always been family-first. And here, I have work-life balance in a way I haven’t seen before, because it’s embraced by everyone I have worked with or reported to.

“This is a key value at KDP Canada, and something that has truly resonated with me for the past four years,” says Boyer.

That balance is just one of the interconnected values that collectively fuel the workplace, says Gagnon. “Our employees know that the organization understands and appreciates their diverse backgrounds and personal situations.” KDP Canada’s eight employee resource groups – AfricanAmericans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, Young Professionals, Hispanics, LGBTQ+, Parents and Caregivers, Veterans and First Responders, and Women – which all have “and allies” as part of their names, are active and influential parts of workplace culture.

Flexibility, Gagnon adds, flows through KDP Canada. “It’s rare in Canada for a consumer packaged goods company like us not to be entirely headquartered in the Greater Toronto Area, but half the Canadian leadership team is based in Montréal and half in Mississauga in the GTA, meaning both cities can support people in their career development.

“Sometimes employees seek out these opportunities,” says Gagnon, “other times we offer them, or initiate a discussion that creates an opportunity. We see their careers as a shared responsibility between employee and employer.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Montreal’s Top Employers winners, published February 27, 2024 in the Montreal Gazette. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.

Top-level support brings young talent to KDP Canada

When Jonathan Lauzon, vice president, sales, at Keurig Dr Pepper Canada (KDP Canada) attended the opening class for his company-supported EMBA, the first thing he did was to approach his professor for his advice on reaching out to the best and brightest students. “I told him I wanted to connect with them to talk about our company, our culture, our values and the growth opportunities for young talent within KDP Canada,” Lauzon says.

“At KDP Canada, we are passionate about providing opportunities for young employees because one of the things we’re most proud of is seeing people grow within our organization,” he says.

Every year, the Montréal- and Mississauga, Ont.-based beverage-maker takes on large numbers of young summer job and co-op placement seekers, as well as paid interns, and is proud of retaining a third or more of the interns as permanent employees. There are good reasons for that success, says former KDP Canada intern Jasmine Prégent, 28, now a sustainability specialist at the company.

“Right from the start of my internship project, during which I was asked to develop a water stewardship strategy for KDP Canada,” says Prégent, “it was clear my expertise and ideas were valued. With my mentor’s support and guidance, I felt very empowered. That was a big part of why I chose to embark on an internship and later stay on with KDP Canada.”

Equally as important, Prégent continues, was that the full support of the executive team showed her she was working for a company whose values aligned with hers.

“Top-level support makes for the possibility of real change,” says Prégent. “This company has a true willingness to evolve and improve its practices on a continuous basis, which enables me to have a real impact on our operations. Seeing my internship project become a five-year major corporate initiative has given great meaning to what I do.”

Prégent’s experience as an intern has been replicated throughout her permanent employment. She’s part of the ‘Women and Allies’ employee resource group and a member of an employee-led health and well-being club, which promotes healthy activities within the office.

Two years in, she’s also had many learning and development opportunities. For instance, in November 2023, Prégent visited coffee farms in Colombia where KDP Canada supports regenerative agriculture, farmer prosperity and responsible sourcing projects.

“We have great partners, and we want to help them expand the reach of their actions,” she says. “As the largest buyer of fair-trade coffee in the world for the 13th consecutive year, we can have a true impact on coffee farmers in Colombia and beyond.”

Career trajectories like Prégent’s are why, says Lauzon, KDP Canada has made significant investments to offer meaningful internships and build a network with schools and student associations.

“We are present in universities across the country,” he says, “and we have such engaged employees – often former interns – who will go back to their previous universities and recruit students for new opportunities and speak about what we offer.”

That includes the workplace culture as much as the work and professional growth opportunities themselves.

“Most young talents today want to find an organization that has a meaningful purpose, and speaking to our initiatives in areas like sustainability, diversity and inclusion allows us to attract great talents whose values align with ours,” says Lauzon. “The two go hand in hand: we need the best talent to reach our goals.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top Employers for Young People winners, published January 23, 2024 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.