As he starts his new role as On Trade Director, Mick Howard reflects on his time running Star Pubs Operations and Just Add Talent and looks ahead to what’s next.
Transforming communities
I’ve had 15 very enjoyable years at HEINEKEN so far, and the highlights are many. I’ve been involved in two major acquisitions of pubs and rebranding the Star Pubs business twice. We tripled the size of Star on the last acquisition, so we’ve had to keep integrating the culture and reshaping the business.
Throughout that time, our Capex programme has delivered some amazing pubs, transformed communities and created jobs, and we've just announced another £44.5 million investment in pubs for the next year. It’s wonderful to be involved in things like that.
Overseeing the growth of our Just Add Talent business has also been an amazing experience. It’s quite a new way of working in the industry but we've got a fantastic team, we’ve successfully established the model and we’ve created some great businesses.
I’ve had other great interactions as well. In the 12 years I’ve run the Business Development Manager Academy, we’ve had 50 colleagues go through it and then join Star in one role or another. And over the last three years we’ve taken several hundred colleagues on Star Safaris. This is when we go through our Star Pubs business, the strategy and the vision that lies behind it, then go out visit some of our fantastic pubs.
Social beings
The hospitality industry has always faced challenges, whether that’s been the smoking ban, licensing reform, government legislation or rising costs. But we’re social beings and people will always want the experience of visiting a pub. Whatever the challenge, we’ve found a way through it by creating great pub businesses and great pub experiences with our fantastic brands.
I’m really looking forward to working even closer with our brands and customers in my new role, from our free trade operators to some of the big national accounts. And there’s a whole new group of colleagues in the On Trade for me to get to know and spend time with across a wide variety of teams. I’m very much looking forward to all the opportunities that will bring.
Owning decisions
It’s very exciting to be offered the opportunity to join the UK Management Team. We have a great business and I’m personally looking forward to growing our share, creating profitable business in the On Trade and helping deliver our EverGreen ambitions as we continue to evolve in a changing world. Consumers want something new all the time, our customers want something different from us, and we're going through a digital revolution. So there’s exciting times ahead as we navigate that.
It’s important to give everyone clarity and focus so they understand our goals and what we're looking to achieve. People need to feel empowered to make decisions, but they have to take ownership for those decisions so we’re doing the right things at the right time to maximise opportunities for our customers and for us.
Family brewer
It’s the people, brands, culture and relationships that make HEINEKEN special. We genuinely are a family brewer, just at scale. It’s always good when we help create fantastic On Trade experiences for our customers and for people to enjoy social time together, whether we've created a great pub or executed one of our great brands excellently.
And we’re a business with a culture that helps people develop and grow. My new job opportunity is an example of someone being promoted within the business. It’s fantastic to work for a company that encourages that and it is something we should continually focus on.
Clearing the mind
Outside work I spend a lot of time with friends and family. I enjoy cooking - my wife and daughter are vegetarian and pescatarian and my son and I are definitely carnivores, so I make all sorts of different things. I find being in the kitchen a good way to relax and clear the mind.
I also like walking my Border Collie, Lilly, especially as it often ends visiting the pub with friends. My local, the King and Miller, was saved from closure when a local brewer took it on. It does food and local beers as well as Cruzcampo, and it’s near the woods where I walk Lilly, so it’s very handy for nipping in. It’s perfect.