As executive vice president and managing director for the beer division at Constellation Brands—the maker of Corona and Modelo—Mallika Monteiro, M.B.A. ’07, is navigating a volatile time in the alcohol industry. Declining consumption amidst tariffs and inflation have pushed her focus toward recruiting legal-aged consumers in their 20s. “Beer,” she says, has always been “has always played that role of being an inclusive drink... across groups of people, across society.”
(This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
What are the trends in the beer industry that you’re currently navigating?
Drinkers are looking for flavor. Sweet and fruity is in across the board. Consumers are moving between alcohol categories quite seamlessly as they look for flavor experiences—quite often at the expense of beer.
How do you convince younger consumers to pick up a beer instead of a seltzer or a mocktail?
Reminding them that beer is fun. Beer is the original drink of moderation, in a way. And it comes in these great, convenient formats. If you’re in a stadium, you can drink it in a can. If you’re in a nice restaurant, it comes in a bottle or in drafts. It’s inclusive across demographics. Our non-alcoholic Corona is a part of that.
Who have you learned from most in the business world?
I’ve always been a voracious reader, and that’s where I find a lot of inspiration. Adam Grant is one of my favorites for business management thinking.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
Not to play it safe. You have to take smart risks, but you can’t marinate in the analysis forever.
What’s a path you didn’t take?
I wanted to be a journalist—a political correspondent, actually. Christiane Amanpour was my idol when I was in high school and college. But when I went to Harvard Business School I realized I loved building businesses. So I took my passion for stories, and I brought that here.W Strong storytelling is what gets you there, much more than data in a deck. And what business often lacks is that story to connect the dots to show where we’re going.
What’s the biggest swing you’ve taken in business?
A pitch I made to our CEO seven or eight years ago to create a $100 million fund to invest in female-founded businesses in the beverage alcohol space. I was quite junior and I was sure that I would get laughed out of the room, or worse. But it was the easiest “yes” I’ve gotten in my career.
You have two daughters. What are your hopes for them?
It took me a lot longer than it should have to have confidence and be comfortable in my own skin. My hope is for them to be braver than me sooner than I got to that bravery.
When’s the last time you laughed really hard, and at what?
During the holidays, we do game nights. The four of us were playing Codenames. The girls decided they wanted to play against my husband and me, because they were sure that they were going to beat us. It wasn’t pretty, but Eric and I eked out a win in the end.
What’s your go-to drink at a bar?
There’s nothing like an ice-cold, refreshing Corona with a lime. But other than that, I’m a whiskey girl at heart, so a High West Rendezvous rye. on the rocks.
