London, UK - Fero (formerly Ferovinum) has announced the launch of a new Young Leaders networking initiative aimed at supporting and engaging early-career professionals across the drinks industry, as concerns grow around the sector’s ability to attract and retain talent. The inaugural event which will be held in the evening on 23 April at the Fero Lounge, will be led by Fero team members, Olly Lawson and Hamish Kirwan, and will bring together younger professionals from across the trade to help shape what they want from a group like this.
The move comes amid increasing scrutiny from industry commentators, including recent coverage in Drinks Business and a recent piece by Robert Joseph, highlighting declining interest in drinks careers and rising attrition among younger employees. With questions being raised about progression, inclusivity and long-term opportunities, Fero’s new initiative seeks to take a different approach, where it will start by listening.
Rather than launching a predefined development programme, the initiative is designed as an open forum to listen and better understand what early-career talent actually needs. Then build something meaningful around what the group feels it is lacking across the trade.
“There’s been a lot of discussion recently about the drinks industry struggling to attract and retain talent, particularly among younger professionals,” said Olly Lawson. “Rather than assuming we know the answers, we wanted to start by getting people together and listening.
“This inaugural Young Leaders event is about creating a space for open, honest conversations, understanding the real challenges people are facing early in their careers and what they actually want from the industry. That insight will shape everything we build next.”
The event will serve as a foundation for a longer-term programme, which Fero intends to develop in direct response to participant feedback.
Hamish Kirwan emphasised the importance of involving younger voices in shaping any future initiative.
“Too often, programmes are built for young professionals without involving them in the process. We wanted to flip that,” he said.
“This first event is deliberately designed as a forum, to hear directly from younger people in the trade about what’s working, what isn’t and where they need more support. From there, we can develop something that genuinely adds value, rather than something that misses the mark.”
Mitch Fowler, the chief executive officer at Fero, said: “The drinks industry is facing a very real challenge when it comes to attracting and retaining the next generation of talent and it’s something we all have a responsibility to address.
At Fero, we believe the solution starts with listening. If we want to build a more inclusive, sustainable and appealing industry for younger professionals, we need to better understand their experiences and expectations. This initiative is about creating that dialogue, and then, turning those insights into meaningful action.”
By focusing on collaboration and insight-gathering from the outset, Fero hopes the Young Leaders network will evolve into a meaningful platform for development, connection and retention within the drinks trade.
If you or someone on your team may be interested in participating, please do feel free to share the invite.
