- Name: Shibani Surkund
- Instagram: @shibanisurkund
- Industry Experience: 10+ years
- Favorite Drink: Negroni/Boulevardier or a Dirty Martini
- Favorite Non-alcoholic Drink: Water
For Shibani Surkund, Portfolio Advocate (West Region) with Suntory Global Spirits, the world (of hospitality) is truly her oyster. A self-professed nerd, Shibani’s adventures began soon after completing her one-year foreign exchange program in France which “gave me a lot of exposure to what’s out there in the world.” Her undergrad in Hospitality included a 6-month at a cognac-producing region in France, which inadvertently served as induction to how culturally integrated beverages are in the world. A startup job at Zomato in Mumbai had her handling data analysis which clued her into the inner workings and progress in the food and beverage tech space. This curiosity led her to achieve a dual scholarship to study food and agriculture at Nantes in France, a short stint in Brazil and back in India with the marketing and training team with Grover Zampa Vineyards. “I’m inherently a nerd, obviously, I study a lot. And then I did my WSET level four Diploma in Wines in London.” A brand ambassador profile with Diageo is how Shibani switched gears from wines to spirits.
As the ambassador of Suntory Global Spirits portfolio, Shibani’s primary role is “to make people appreciate our beverages through the stories we have to tell.” Monogatari is the Japanese art of storytelling and serves as a powerful medium to “connect through emotion and making people understand that our product is just not a beverage. It’s something that the Japanese want to share a piece of their culture with the world.” Exciting job profile aside, the Indian market comes with its own set of challenges. While price point vs quality is a big hurdle, Shibani also believes that majority of us are still “stuck in drinking for an objective not drinking to actually appreciate the drink or a cocktail.” This is where educating partners and consumers comes into play. For Shibani, this means going elbows deep into what she loves most – training! As a Beverage Ambassador, her role allows her to connect with multiple passions – bar training, connecting through consumer sessions and marketing “because I have that geeky, nerdy side to me too.” Shibani believes tech and social media have the power to create lasting impact for F&B business, given the easy access to consumer data. For businesses, Shibani’s advice is to stay updated with international markets, “then picking up these small trends and making them localised in a way that connects to the local customer.”
– Nagwa Kureshi