Molson Coors Abandons Diversity Initiatives Weeks After Jack Daniel’s Scrapped Similar Policies
(PhotoL: AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
On Tuesday, Canadian-American brewing giant Molson Coors became the latest company to roll back its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, according to an email shared by Fox Business. The move follows a similar announcement from Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman in late August, preceded by prominent names including Lowe’s and Tractor Supply.
Coors reportedly stated that it will transition away from “defined” supplier diversity goals and that executive compensation will be tied to “business performance” rather than “aspirational representation.” DEI training programs will reportedly no longer be offered to employees, as everyone has “already completed them.”
The brewer also says that it will no longer participate in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, an annual survey that gauges policies and practices pertaining to LGBTQ+ employees.
In addition to its flagship Coors Light and Miller Lite offerings, Molson Coors produces brands including Blue Moon, Olde English 800, Simply Spiked and AriZona Hard. The company posted an annual gross profit of $4.369 billion in 2023.
“The driving force behind this shift was the understanding that when all our people know they are welcome, they are more engaged, motivated and committed to our company’s collective success,” the email read, per The National Review. “Since then, we have reviewed all our policies and practices to ensure our work is aligned with this renewed focus.”
Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist who claims to have had a hand in pressuring John Deere, Harley-Davidson and Polaris to retract their DEI initiatives, has publicly taken responsibility for Molson Coors’ decision. In a tweet shared on Tuesday, Starbuck wrote:
“Big news: Last week I messaged executives from @CoorsLight @MolsonCoors to let them know that I planned to expose their woke policies. Today they’re preemptively making changes […] Our campaigns are so effective that we’re getting multi-billion dollar organizations to change their policies without me even posting just from the fear they have of being the next company that we expose.”
A prominent figure in anti-DEI social media circles, Starbuck is a documentary filmmaker and former write-in candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. His claims surrounding Molson Coors closely mirror those he’s made regarding Jack Daniel’s. In an interview with Fox News, Starbuck remarked that he was planning on targeting Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman, but that the company scrapped its diversity initiatives after they were “tipped off by us going through employee LinkedIn pages.”
Though Molson Coors says its policy change will take effect next year, shifts are already underway across its messaging.
The brewer’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion landing page currently redirects to a “does not exist” error screen. According to Internet archives, the page was last active as early as August 19th. At the time, its banner depicted employees on a community cleanup initiative fronted with the quote: “We don’t see this as a moment. We see this as a movement.”
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