Great business to work in, but a culture of silos prevails
Pros
Working in the wine industry for the world's top wine company. The industry is fascinating, and the company is experiencing tremendous growth both domestically and internationally. As a result, there are many opportunities to learn. Employees are intelligent, driven, and talented. Many have worked at the company their entire lives - 20, 30, even 40 years. Salary and benefits are competitive.
Cons
This is a company whose success is the result of doing what they've always done, and doing it well. The downside to that is leadership tends to be very resistant to new ideas and change. The company is organized in functional silos that emanate downward from the individual core executive leadership team members. Cross-silo collaboration is very difficult without buy-in and support from top leadership. Patience, persistence, and keen political savvy are key to get innovative projects off the ground. Experienced hires tend to have to take a cut in title to get in the door. Advancement opportunities tend to go to those that are in with the good old boys, and not necessarily the most accomplished or qualified. Agree with the previous comment that certain business school graduates are arbitrarily selected for preferential career progressions that are denied to others, regardless of interest or merit. HR labels them "high potentials," known colloquially to their fellow employees as "the chosen ones." Corporate culture overall is more reminiscent of the '60s or '70s than the 21st century.