Alexandre Ruberti’s Board Journey
VAB member Alexandre Ruberti was recently appointed to a board director position at Zevia (Nasdaq: ZVIA). Below he shares his comments and thoughts about his path to taking on this new role.
What started you on your path to your new role – a network referral, a board role facilitator organisation/head-hunter, another route?
My journey involved a mix of factors: a) my 8+ years’ experience working at Coke Bottlers in Brazil, 16+ years’ experience and a solid track record working for Red Bull; b) previous board experience at Celsius Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: CELH); and c) a network referral. I was approached by the Zevia board recruitment team, interviewed by the board members, and based on my experience in the beverage industry, and my leadership philosophy, I was chosen for their board of directors.
How impactful was your network in helping you successfully complete the board hiring process? Where did they provide assistance – document production, interview prep, due diligence?
Visibility within the industry + professional and personal networks form a powerful combination. To get access to new opportunities, you must be active in your industry sector (expert field) and keep your network informed about your perspectives and views and your achievements. It is also critical to highlight your objectives as a potential board member. Learning from your network and experienced board members provides useful tools during the board opportunity search process.
What strength or qualification helped pull you over the finish line? Is there a specific skill or experience that made you stand out among others in the candidate pool?
I believe the Zevia board values my experience in the beverage sector, my achievements, and my previous board experience with publicly traded companies. They also noticed that I have strong commercial skills and experience in handling communications with corporate management and leading board-to-executive leadership team (ELT) dialogue.
What features of the business or elements in the board structure made you want to take on the role, e.g., a specific career challenge, strong values alignment, learning opportunities, something else?
The company’s potential to grow exponentially; the opportunity to contribute and bring value to the shareholders; and the chance to work with very experienced board members all made me decide to accept this role. In my own humble way, I want to learn from them and contribute with my expertise in the beverage industry. I’m excited to be able to support the Zevia board in realising its goals of further growth and market expansion.