Beverage Boss with Calypso Lemonade's Bridget McCarthy Lasda

The CPG Guys Sri & PVSB welcome Bridget Lasda, Chief Customer Officer for King Juice/Calypso Lemonade for this episode.

Bridget started her career at The Coca-Cola Company and then Heineken USA before joining King Juice.

Questions Bridget answers include:

1. You joined Coca-Cola straight out of college. What were some of the experiences or skills you honed at Coca-Cola that have served you particularly well in your career there and beyond?
2. What were some of the requirements of selling alcohol beverage products that were surprising or challenging for you as you joined HeinekenUSA?
3. After working your entire career at large companies with venerable brands, you decide to join this emerging Calypso business. What drew you to this opportunity and were there any particularly humbling experiences you faced working for an early-stage brand?
4. The trade requirements you faced over your career have been transforming as the omnichannel world emerges. What was needed for an omnichannel retailer is much more demanding than just a brick & mortar retailer. Can you tell us what capabilities you need to bring when selling into a national omnichannel retailer particularly as it relates to the digital shelf?
5. When you are Coca-Cola, you are often the category captain or trusted advisor to the buyer. How do you position King Juice’s role and what specific set of capabilities do you employ to succeed in a highly competitive and crowded category?
6. Calypso’s distribution is growing rapidly,even reaching to Hawaii. Is your growth strategy more geographic or channel based? What are your KPIs beyond equivalized cases?
7. The pandemic had broad impact on the food & beverage industry. How did that manifest for King Juice in your supply chain and retail demand? Has that changed as the pandemic extends? Is virtual selling harder or easier that live meetings?
8. Convenience retailers like 7 Eleven and Go Puff have entered the eCommerce world. Is this a promising channel and do you think that more competitors will enter the market? 
9. What are some of the key transformations that you are watching in the retail industry that pertain to immediate consumption beverage?
10. How has a commitment to your community through volunteerism brought balance to your professional pursuits and how would you advise our audience to consider similar altruistic pursuits?

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