Career Paths: ‘Go for it’: Mary Intriago’s Molson Coors career

Mary Intriago is shattering glass ceilings. And she's not only shattering glass ceilings for herself, butdoing it for women across Molson Coors and in the beverage industry. But getting to the place where she is today was a journey filled with cross-functional moves.

Back in January 2012, Mary joined Molson Coors as a marketing manager for Panama and Costa Rica. And with her desire to learn more and be an example for others, it was clear Mary was a natural leader. So, in 2018, Mary was promoted to country manager for Panama and Costa Rica, making her the first woman to hold the position in Molson Coors history. She spent three years in the role, expanding her skillset and growing as a leader. But with a passion for brands and marketing, in 2021, Mary made the transition to brand manager for LATAM. And she has been in that role since.

"Marketing is a function that always has attracted me. I love the brands," she said, describing her career journey at Molson Coors. "But it's also been a personal goal of mine to be a leader. So, I've always been eager to learn from others in different functions. And I try to always see career transitions as my personal benefit for the future to better understand the business."

Holding so many roles in different areas of the business, Mary now has an extensive skillset. She has been able to expand and fine tune her process efficiency, project planning, financial thinking, data analytics, trade marketing, sales storytelling, negotiating, brand program execution and portfolio strategy, just to name a few.

"Because of all the different experiences I have had and the skills I have learned, I am much more prepared when talking with people in different functions, especially in Supply Chain," she said. "I am now much more confident in my ability to support the Supply Chain team and the people on the front lines. Overall, learning from different functions has given me a broader scope of managing the business. And I have different lenses that help me make bolder decisions."

Mary has learned from first-hand experience that making horizontal career moves can be equally if not more important than vertical moves. Having always wanted to be a leader, making horizontal moves has been key for her to be a stronger manager and for her future development. And even today, she is constantly asking questions, trying to find a better process for things and raise her hand to be able to learn something new every day.

Her advice for anyone looking to make a cross-functional move? "Go for it. Don't be afraid. It's worth it. All you gain is wisdom."