The company is turning DEI from a global value into locally tailored action – using frontline-focused communication, powerful BRGs and direct employee–executive dialogue to lift engagement and performance
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is often described as “strategic”, but for Constellation Brands it is literally embedded as one of the company’s core business pillars – and is being tailored market by market to reflect local cultures and workforce needs.
Speaking with HRD, , vice president of HR and business enablement at Constellation Brands, said diversity and inclusion are “absolutely essential” to the organisation’s success across its New Zealand and Australian operations.
“When we bring together people from different backgrounds and with different experiences, their perspectives give us an opportunity to create a stronger, more successful business,” she said. “It’s not just something we say. One of our strategic pillars is creating a constructive and inclusive culture that’s reflected in the way we operate every day.”
The beer, wine, and spirits producer and marketer has teams spread across four sites in New Zealand and Australia. Bassett noted that belonging is a clear performance driver.
“When everyone feels they belong and can contribute, we see tangible benefits both in the quality of work and in the engagement of our people,” she says.
To track that impact, Constellation Brands relies on regular culture surveys, using the data to identify pockets of strength and areas requiring focus. “We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and equally aware there’s always more we can do,” Bassett explained. “We’re committed to constantly learning and taking action where change is needed.”
Business resource groups as change engines
At the centre of Constellation Brands’ inclusion efforts are its Business Resource Groups (BRGs), designed deliberately to be open and cross‑functional.
In New Zealand and Australia, BRGs support women, the rainbow community, and Asian, Pasifika and Māori colleagues – and critically, they are open to allies as well as those who identify with the groups they support.
“These groups bring together people from all backgrounds, including allies, to raise awareness and drive real change,” said Bassett.
In 2026, the organisation is putting its WISE (women’s) group at the forefront of analysing gender‑related feedback from its all‑company surveys. The aim is to ensure that gender insights are translated into practical action.
“We’ll use our WISE group to review gender feedback from our all‑company surveys, helping us better understand everyone’s experiences and focus our efforts where they’re needed most,” she said..
BRGs are also central to how the company marks key cultural and inclusion moments, from International Women’s Day, Diwali and Matariki through to Pride Month. Stories and updates from these events are shared widely through “The Grapevine” – the company’s intranet – and amplified at Town Hall meetings to connect employees across locations and roles.
Local nuance within a global framework
Constellation Brands operates under a single global vision and set of values, but is intentionally rejecting a one‑size‑fits‑all model for DEI.
“As a global business with a head office in the US, we have a shared purpose,” Bassett said. “But we recognise that every region is different, so our local teams in New Zealand and Australia adapt how they bring those values to life.”
In practical terms, that means DEI structures and priorities vary across regions. In the US, for example, BRGs focus on African American and Hispanic/Latinx colleagues and their allies. In New Zealand and Australia, the Kāhui BRG is specifically designed to support Māori and Pasifika colleagues and allies.
“This flexibility allows our teams to respond to our unique needs and cultures while still aligning with our overall direction,” Bassett explained. “Having a clear purpose, but also the flexibility to adapt, is really important to us.”
Even seemingly simple elements, such as how celebrations are run, are tailored. “The way we celebrate also depends on what works best for our employees at each location,” she added, underscoring the importance of local ownership and fit‑for‑purpose design.
Making inclusion visible – even in the vineyard
One of the most striking innovations in Constellation Brands’ DEI approach is how it has connected a dispersed, sometimes offline workforce to the same information and stories.
The organisation’s intranet, The Grapevine, has evolved into a central hub for inclusive communication: sharing employee stories, promoting events, and providing access to resources from across all sites.
“Every lunchroom in our vineyards features a screen which mirrors our intranet, so everyone has access to the same information at the same time – even employees who don’t have regular access to a computer or mobile phone,” Bassett says.
For HR leaders grappling with how to reach frontline or field-based teams, this simple but effective design choice has turned physical spaces into inclusion channels and ensured DEI isn’t seen as something only office-based staff participate in.
From induction to the executive table: embedding voice and feedback
Bassett is clear that culture change must be woven through the employee lifecycle rather than bolted on as a series of standalone programs.
To that end, Constellation Brands has formalised its induction processes to ensure new starters experience the company’s values and inclusion expectations from day one, and has created more space for employee input in decisions, particularly at the regional level.
The business has also introduced structured two‑way feedback mechanisms between employees and senior leaders. A recent example is “Table Talks”, a program where six employees meet informally with a member of the executive team over lunch.
“This forum is a way everyone can feel seen and heard by the decision-makers in our business,” said Bassett. “It’s about creating real dialogue, not just top‑down communication.”
Alongside this, the organisation continues to invest in inclusion workshops, Pride Pledge training, and ongoing policy reviews to ensure frameworks remain both fair and supportive. Partnerships with local charities and industry groups extend that commitment beyond the company’s four walls and keep HR teams connected to external best practice.
Measuring impact and looking ahead
Across all of these initiatives, measurement remains a constant theme. Regular surveys are used not just as a gauge of sentiment, but as a roadmap for “what’s next” in the DEI journey.
“As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we measure the impact of our culture and inclusion efforts through regular surveys, using that data to inform our next steps,” Bassett said. “There’s still a lot more we want to do, but we’re excited about the progress so far and the opportunities ahead.”
For HR leaders, Constellation Brands’ approach offers a practical blueprint: anchor DEI as a strategic pillar, design BRGs and programs that reflect local contexts, give employees real voice into decisions and leadership, and ensure frontline workers are just as connected to the inclusion story as those in head office.
Most importantly, Bassett concluded, treat DEI as a continual process rather than a completed project: “We’re always looking for new ways to make diversity and inclusion part of our everyday work.”
