Anheuser Busch InBev : A Day In The Life Of An AB InBev Intern

'The Most Impactful Project Of My Life'
Intern: Jesus Fernandez

Task: Sourcing renewable energy, Mexico City, Mexico.
Experience: Global MBA scheme.

'Every day is different and challenging as a Global MBA. I was never told what to do, but I was told what was expected from me and my project.

'We need to find the best way to guarantee we source 100% of our energy in Mexico from renewable sources. Go for it!' and so the adventure began…

If you're new to a company you can often expect a slow start, but this wasn't the case. The first day into the job I was already meeting key people for the project, discussing ideas, sourcing information and starting to establish my objectives. From procurement, finance, legal, corporate affairs, marketing, everyone came on board!

I quickly realized, not only how important this project was for the company, but for each and every one of us involved. It was fascinating discovering an amazing culture of owners that were focused on the project being successful so that it benefits the company, consumers and the world.

As I write this I'm a few days away from making my final presentation to the company's leadership and I'm eager to do so. But what drives me is the fact that this project is the most transcendent and impactful one I have had the opportunity of developing in my life. The best results are obtained when you love what you do, and I was focused on sustainability and beer - I can't imagine a better internship.

Everyone here is working hard to make sure we bring people together for a better world and from what I have seen, that better world starts from within the company. It is a living dream, embraced and shared by everyone, it is not a mantra, it is a way of life.

The last weeks have been ones of the greatest and most satisfying of my life. If I had to summarize my whole internship in one phrase it would be: Dream big, love what you do, do it simple and do it better!'

Taste Testing To Find The Freshest, Finished Bud
Intern: Luis Perez

Task: Brewery shadowing, Price and Performance Management Team, St Louis.
Experience: Saint Louis Brewery

'My most memorable experience was taking part in a panel to rate Budweiser quality through a blind test of beer brewed over the past five weeks. There were multiple testing stations set up from across the brewery process and I was lucky enough to test the freshest finished product.

It felt like a lot of pressure, but I was delighted that I succeeded in identifying the freshest samples. It was a privilege to be a part of the process of upholding the company's highest quality standards for the day.

During my time at AB InBev, I was also lucky enough to shadow the Assistant Operations Manager of the Saint Louis Brewery, Matt Bailey. This was not so much a natural part of my internship, but rather a huge benefit of working in such close proximity to the brewery. The day started promptly at 5:45am when I put on my Budweiser polo shirt, my borrowed steel-toes and a rugged pair of jeans. With the sky still pink before sun up, I made it to the brewery about 15 minutes before the shift change and the shift handover meeting at 6:30am.

The meeting is a skillfully orchestrated and comprehensive transfer of information from the off-going shift to the oncoming one. Group Managers, who oversee the packaging lines throughout the midnight hours, brief the Brewery Process Managers, who are ultimately responsible for managing the performance and maintenance of their respective lines.
The exchange is crucial to making sure there is no loss of situational awareness regarding a line that might need maintenance and preventing a waste of resource by repeating the same procedures twice. I donned my safety glasses, hardhat, and hearing protection several times throughout the morning shift to follow the Group Managers out onto the production floor to investigate potential issues on the lines. It was very much like accompanying a firefighter to the scene of a fire with Group Managers very adept at calmly exploring any potential problems, while allowing the line and maintenance specialists to troubleshoot the issue.
I also had the chance to sit in on the joint daily meeting where the brewery's division heads briefed the General Manager on the status of all functions across the brewery. The GM has a very challenging job and it takes skill and leadership to meet the brewery's production targets while staying within his allotted budget. I was very grateful for an opportunity to see such a bustling and energetic environment first-hand.
The opportunities and experiences at this company are only limited by your imagination and the persistence to make it happen.'

US Marine Meets Brito
Intern: Mitch Leestma

Task: Investigating centralizing construction process, NYC.
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Experience: Global MBA scheme. Graduate School Program: Dual-degree MBA, The Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth and MA in Law and Diplomacy (International Relations), The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts

'My intern experience this past summer has been phenomenal. I applied for and was accepted to AB InBev's Global MBA program and was called to New York City for a special project a few months before my start date. I'm from the Midwest and was a bit apprehensive about the change, but it ended up being incredible.

I was tasked with developing a business case for centralising AB InBev's construction process; something the company has never done before. It played exceptionally well to my background - prior to graduate school, I was an Engineer in the US Marine Corps for five years. I worked as a project engineer for a general contractor in California and it also utilized my previous professional experiences with learnings in finance and accounting.

I hit a small hitch straight away, as I currently serve as a company commander in the US Marine Corps Reserve and needed to attend an annual training period a week in, but the company were very supportive in making sure I could fulfill my training obligations.
On return, I was able to really dig deep into my project, working with colleagues from nine AB InBev zones and travelling to India, Mexico, St. Louis and Cincinnati. It was a busy summer!
One of the benefits of working at Global Headquarters in NYC is the access to the C-Suite. Arguably my most memorable day was arranged by The People Team, who made sure I was among those set up with several small-group lunch-and-learns with the company's global leadership team, including Chief People Officer David Almeida, Chief Supply Officer Pete Kramer and even a chance meet and talk to AB InBev's CEO, Brito.
Getting to speak with these individuals in a room with only a handful of people present really showed the extent of the company's dedication to us having a positive experience and allowed us to ask lots of questions to industry veterans. In my last week of work this August, I presented the results of my findings to my boss, my VP, and Pete Kramer. After an hour-long presentation and Q&A, I was informed that the company would like me to return following the completion of grad school. It capped an outstanding summer; my hard work really paid off. I really can't say enough about my experience.'

#GMBAIntern @ABI