Though he spends his days at Heineken USA managing a $200 million marketing budget and overseeing the planning, forecasting, and analysis of the largest brands within the Heineken portfolio, Jim Morgan is not your typical finance guy—not the least because he has just returned from what he calls “a month-long, life-defining, pho-filled trek through Vietnam and Cambodia.” Morgan is just as passionate about product branding and innovation as he is about finance. As a member of Heineken USA’s Innovation Steering Committee, he “plays a pivotal role in evaluating new brands, flavor extensions, and package extensions.” And this year, Morgan was selected—from more than 5,000 submissions in 40 markets—as one of Heineken USA’s five regional winners for its annual Innovation Challenge (employees across the world submit ideas that can end up being funded and produced globally). Morgan put together an entire business case for a top-secret new product, which he believes “has the ability to be a game-changer with its potential to expand and capture new consumers.” |