Talking Business with Brasserie de Luxembourg director Simon Wuestenberg

Who are you and what do you do?

Originally I’m from a small village close to Leuven, Belgium where I practically grew up in the shadow of the Stella Artois brewery. In 2011 I moved to Luxembourg with my wife and three kids. Early that year, I took over the helm of the Brasserie de Luxembourg.

With 53% market share, the Brasserie de Luxembourg is the undisputed leader in the Luxembourgish beer market, where we are of course best known for the Diekirch & Mousel beers that we brew here in Diekirch. But besides, as the local subsidiary of the world’s leading brewer AB InBev, we also distribute a broad portfolio of other premium beer brands such as Leffe, Hoegaarden, Jupiler and Franziskaner. Basically we have a portfolio that responds to the demographic richness of Luxembourg, and my job is to develop that portfolio together with my team.

Brewing and selling beer is a fantastic job. We work every day with a natural product that brings people together; we like to say that beer was the first social network.

Our consumers and our customers have a strong emotional connection with our beers. Diekirch is the perfect example – pure local quality, enjoyed best with friends – as the brand’s slogan illustrates so well: “A l’amitié!”

How did you get where you are now?

I started my career as an HR consultant but quickly felt that I wanted to get into the thick of the action, have the in-house experience. AB InBev offered me precisely this: first I held progressively senior roles in our European HR department, before moving to our Belgian business unit where I was given the opportunity to lead our sales teams in the Belgian retail sector. Adding frontline sales experience to my previous headquarters experience was fantastic and helped me deepen my understanding of our challenges and opportunities. Back in 2011 a next step meant taking up the general management of the Brasserie de Luxembourg, which has been a tremendous honour and a pleasure.

What are the most important skills and qualities for a successful business leader?

I’d argue that the most important basis for success is simply hard work, together with your team. At AB InBev we believe a lot in leading by example, and I identify strongly with that. I see my role as setting direction, thinking big, creating clarity and speed. Leaders also need to be able to listen and have the courage to make decisions, even if they are sometimes tough, to make sure things move forward.

How do you assess the current economic situation in Luxembourg?

My assessment would be that if you compare Luxembourg’s current economic performance with the countries around us, we’re doing pretty well. However, if we compare the current economy with the performance over the past years, the picture is a lot less rosy. Consumer and business confidence are under pressure, unemployment continues to be on the rise, etc.

Whether we like it or not, this is increasingly impacting daily life and business, and we also experience this in the beer industry.

That’s why it is important that companies like ours and our customers, that create jobs and value, continue to be supported by an entrepreneurial friendly climate.

What are your expectations and hopes for the Luxembourg economy in the next 12 months?

I think we all hope for a quick and sound recovery of the European economy, which will also benefit Luxembourg a lot. It’s very important that entrepreneurship is encouraged at all levels; there’s still a lot of unlocked potential in Luxembourg and we need motivated and capable people that are incentivised to tackle those opportunities.

If you could change one law in Luxembourg, what would it be?

I don’t think it’s my role to comment on specific laws but in general I would like to add that in today’s economic climate we need to make sure that we stimulate people and companies that want to create value.

What's your pet peeve?

Very simple: disloyalty.

What do you like most and least about Luxembourg?

What I like most is the love and passion for high quality local products, including our fantastic beers of course.

The incredible Luxembourgish nature comes in a close second place, from the Müllerthal trail all the way to the Moselle hills.

What I like least are the train connections; I have regular meetings in Belgium, France and the Netherlands and better train connections would save me a lot of driving time!

How do you unwind?

I wouldn’t work so hard if I wouldn’t like it so much. That being said, what helps me to disconnect and unwind most is spending time with my family, nothing beats that. And obviously I enjoy sharing a cold Diekirch with friends; and I can tell you, enjoying a beer is even more special if you work at a brewery, knowing how much effort and craftsmanship we put into brewing it. Besides that I try to take care of body and mind by doing regular outdoor running and reading good books.

What's your ringtone?

The ‘24’ ringtone!

What does your desk say about you?

A lot probably: I turned my big private office into a meeting room and instead created an open office where I sit with my management team: sitting together every day helps us save a lot of time in meetings, creates a lot of trust and openness, enhances a clear and candid communication flow, makes sure we’re all on the same page, and on top of all that it’s simply a lot of fun!