SB meets… Steven Alexander, Creamy Creation

The CEO of the leading B2B (business-to-business) cream liqueur producer discusses the importance of inspiring his colleagues, being on the pulse with macro trends, and his favourite product launch to date.

How long have you been with Creamy Creation, and what attracted you to the company?

I started with Creamy Creation back in 2011. I left in 2015 for an outside opportunity, but then I re-joined the company again in 2019. I love the company, especially the employees and team atmosphere. That, combined with the dynamic nature of the beverage industry and growth potential of the company, drew me back.

As CEO, how do you work to inspire your team? And vice versa, how do your colleagues inspire you?

We have a very open, democratic, and customer focused company culture. I have regular communication with all members of the organisation and have open discussions with them about opportunities and ideas to improve the company. There is a monthly town hall where I update the global team on our results and share my vision for the company.

I get a lot of energy from individual conversations with our team members, and frequently get to implement their ideas into the company.

How do you keep ahead of the trends in such a fast-paced industry?

We carefully monitor the macro trends in consumer products, more specifically in the food, beverage and spirits industry, and then determine what might be tangible for cream liqueurs. Our Innovation department keeps their finger on the pulse of trends, through social listening and trend platforms, while also looking at what kind of requests we are getting from our customers.

For example, we saw the growth and popularity of oat milk in the food and beverage market and the potential to translate it to the spirits market.

Can you tell me about any innovation you are currently working on?

Our newest innovation, SL!M, taps into the sugar-reduction trend that we see taking off in the beverage industry. It contains 40% less sugar and calories than a traditional cream liqueur, while tasting as smooth and indulgent. We’re expected to launch this concept in June.

What has been your most exciting launch over the past year or two?

My personal favourite launch was the Vegan Creamy Liqueur line, including our mixable, soy-free, and oats liqueur concepts. These concepts have such a big potential in the marketplace and now we’re able to make them taste indistinguishable from dairy versions. We’ve received very positive feedback from our customers in the spirits industry on this line. We still see there’s more opportunity out there in this space and are continuously innovating in this area.

Do you have a favourite market to work in, and if so, why?

All our markets are interesting in their own way. On the innovation end, the US is the most interesting because it is at the forefront of trends, and open to new concepts.

Looking to the future, where do you see Creamy Creation this time next year?

By next year, we will have grown our business with both existing & new customers and have built additional capacity for those customers. Additionally, our plan is to launch three new innovations in the next 12 months.