Beyond the Bottle – Diageo Director, Head of North America Ventures Sallie Jian

“We have a parent company. We invest off of our balance sheet, which means we need to be very hyper focused and hyper strategic in what we invest in. We know that we have our core products, our portfolio, the things that we've been working on for years and years, if not decades. But we also know there's a lot of new entrants and new opportunities out there and things that are going to disrupt our business or complement or be synergistic with ours. So really, it's about finding opportunities outside of what we can do internally. And working with these partners that can help us drive inorganic growth.”

– Sallie Jian, Director, Head of North America Ventures at Diageo

This week’s VentureFuel Visionary is Sallie Jian, Director, Head of North America Ventures at Diageo. She oversees Diageo’s venture capital activities including minority investments (lead, co-invest, partnerships, JVs) and Distill Ventures in North America.

In the episode, we talk about ‘Fusion by Diageo’, a new partnership lab to identify and build with the world’s most pioneering startups as well as the role of corporate venturing and how startups help corporations through unique value, speed and customized solutions.

Catch our conversation as we try to answer these questions: What is the future of celebration? And how can the industry leading global spirits company co-develop the next generation of digital products to elevate consumer experiences?

Seize the opportunity with the Diageo Accelerator for tech startups! Partner with a global luxury brand and enjoy equity-free support, remote mentorship, and more. If you aim to enhance the consumer experience and fall within the Series A to growth stage, act now - apply before November 24!