AB InBev AB InBev launches an interactive Code of Business Conduct & Ethics e-learning programme with Interactive Dialogues
Anheuser-Busch InBev is the leading
ML: What was the main reason for rolling
global brewer and one of the world’s
out this on-line training programme on
top five consumer products companies.
Business Conduct & Ethics? Has it ever
With a dream to become ‘The Best Beer
been done before within the AB InBev
Company in a Better World’, the company
Group?
has a strong, balanced portfolio. With four of the top ten selling beers in the
KS: This is the third consecutive year that
world, Anheuser-Busch InBev holds
we have rolled out the Code of Business
either the No. 1 or No. 2 position in 19
Conduct training within the AB InBev group.
key markets. Headquartered in Leuven,
The aim is to raise awareness on the topics
you avoid “you shall not do this, and you
Belgium, Anheuser-Busch InBev leverages
covered by the CoBC and to emphasise
shall not do that”;
the collective strength of approximately
how our company relies on every individual’s
a picture can tell a thousand words.
116,000 people based in operations in 23
commitment to
countries across the world.
compliance. Each participant must complete
ML: The programme also contains a
an annual certification of the knowledge of the
quiz section. The participant starts off
Code.
with 100 credits and has to maintain 80
ML: Marianne Leijs, Marketing Coordinator at
credits to pass the course. What were
Interactive Dialogues NV KS: M s Kylie Sturtz, Legal Director of Compliance & Competition at AB InBev
ML: The programme features a lot of
the reactions to this unique approach?
drawings from the Belgian cartoonist Ludo Goderis. Were these of great value
KS: The number of reactions was amazing;
in order to make the programme lighter
people became very competitive. The
and more fun?
“countdown formula” has obviously a much bigger effect on people than a building-up
KS: Indeed, the great value of using cartoons
formula. The participants wanted to keep the
is: it is fun, but you still make a clear point
initial 100% and every incorrect answer meant that they really concentrated on getting the
without pointing the finger or adopting an
rest of the questions right. Definitely something
accusatory tone;
to repeat!
www.interactivedialogues.com
ML: Have any other initiatives, besides this programme, been taken in the past to enhance business conducts & ethics within the company? KS: All new joiners are introduced to the Code of Business Conduct on the welcoming days, and two years ago we organised a poster campaign in offices to raise awareness. From time to time,
About Us Interactive Dialogues was founded in 1998
If you would like more information about
and serves a growing number of national
our services, please visit our website:
and multinational companies.
www.interactivedialogues.com
Our sales, application development and administration teams are based in Brussels,
For general or sales enquiries:
Belgium and Cheshire, UK.
sales@interactivedialogues.com
“Compliance” email news flashes are sent throughout AB InBev, e.g. when compliance guidelines are created or updated.
KS: The training is mandatory for senior
ML: What were your initial expectations
The main initiative remains the annual
management around the world, about 3.000
regarding this project? What was the
e-training programme, which is announced in
people globally. That is the minimum required
main goal you were looking to achieve?
the Company News Flashes via a message
audience. However, each operational Zone
from the Chief Legal Officer.
(Western Europe, Asia Pacific, North America,
KS: The initial expectation was to raise
Latin America South and Latin America North)
awareness of the Code of Business Conduct.
can decide to include additional personnel,
As in many other international companies,
according to its habits and needs in that
within AB InBev there are several different
region.
sub-entities with their own Code and
As a result, in 2009 the training was in
guidelines. So, on the one hand, we wanted
fact sent out to about 14.000 AB InBev
to increase compliance with the company’s
employees.
guidelines (sometimes local guidelines), and
The training will also be available year round
on the other hand bring a consistent global
for new joiners.
compliance message to the whole AB InBev group. In the end, we created one global
ML: Who within AB InBev took on the
ML: In how many languages was
training programme, with links to specific local
responsibility to roll out and design this
the programme set up? Were these
content sites where this was needed. On
programme?
languages necessary to encourage
some sites, we also used local brand logos
people to take part in the programme?
and branding to give it the right look and feel.
KS: AB InBev’s Audit Committee oversees all our compliance work, including the roll-out of
KS: The programme is available in eight
the Code of Business Conduct training. On
languages. It is indeed necessary to
the ground, the Corporate Compliance team
encourage people to follow the course as
organises the roll-out and design of the global
we have operations across a wide range of
programme in cooperation with the Zone
countries, but it is also a legal requirement in
legal teams.
some countries to have the training available in the local language. The availability in local
ML: Who and how large is the target
language allows us to broaden the scope to
audience? How did you define that
cover employees who may not be fluent in
audience?
English.
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ML: What was your experience of working with Interactive Dialogues? How was the technical and general support? KS: The main reasons why we have chosen to work with Interactive Dialogues, and will continue to work with them, are: lexibility: The content as well as the F structure of our training has been built up step-by-step in close cooperation with the account manager reativity: in the lay-out (cartoons, logos), in C finding technical solutions User-friendly administration tool ML: What were the first reactions after
ML: Will the programme be repeated next
KS: Two things:
year?
1. “Enlighten” the training with humour and
KS: Yes, definitely.
2. Bring a global message, while respecting
launching the project?
engage your audience.
KS: Apart from some initial technical issues
the local tweaking by using local logos and
related to internet access, which were
incorporating local guidelines.
mainly due to our own network, the overall comments were positive. The fact that we
ML: What would you do differently next
used humour to convey some serious content
time?
has been much appreciated. The few critical comments that we received
KS: In the US, additional ethical
were mainly about the substantive content
questionnaires are sent out on an annual
of the questions (particularly triggered by
basis. We will now look how to incorporate
the notorious “countdown” in the individual
them in the single ethical platform.
testing). Some people felt a few questions were not that clear but within ethics it isn’t all
ML: Do new employees have to take this
black and white, is it?
on-line course as well? KS: Yes, the training will also be available year round for new joiners. ML: What advice could you give other companies that are planning similar ethics programmes?
Contact us: T: +32 (0)2 713 6300 E: sales@interactivedialogues.com W: www.interactivedialogues.com W: www.idoxgroup.com
www.interactivedialogues.com