How Southern Glazer’s Integrates EHS into Corporate Culture
Lessons in leadership from company’s safety VP
Managing Environmental Health and Safety across 47 U.S. markets and Canada is no small feat. For a distributor of beverage alcohol operating at the scale of Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits—recently recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s greatest workplaces for culture, diversity, and women—safety cannot exist as an isolated corporate function. It must be woven into the daily rhythm of how work gets done.
In a recent episode of the All Things Safety podcast, Kay Yoder, Senior Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety at Southern Glazer’s, sat down to discuss her 30-year journey in global safety management and how modern organizations can successfully embed safety into their foundational culture.
“Early on, at least in my career, the focus was very reactive... Today, leading companies recognize that strong EHS performance directly influences employee engagement, productivity, retention, and overall business results,” Yoder said.
Building a Culture of Belonging: Lessons in EHS Leadership from Southern Glazer’s Kay Yoder
Kay Yoder, Senior Vice President of EHS at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, shares how she manages safety across an expansive North American footprint. The conversation explores the historical evolution of EHS from reactive compliance to a strategic driver of company culture.
The Shift from Reactive Compliance to Strategic Driver
Over the last three decades, the corporate perception of EHS has undergone a fundamental transformation. Early in Yoder’s career, the primary objective was reactive: passing regulatory audits, avoiding fines, and checking compliance boxes.
Today, forward-thinking organizations treat safety performance as a core business enabler. Strong EHS execution directly impacts frontline productivity, employee retention, and long-term organizational resilience.
“EHS is no longer viewed as the cost of doing business, but recognized as a key enabler of long-term success,” Yoder notes. “The biggest mindset shift is moving from being a technical expert to a business leader who just happens to specialize in EHS.”
Balancing Scale with Local Ownership
How do you maintain cohesion across hundreds of facilities and thousands of employees? According to Yoder, the secret lies in balancing enterprise-wide consistency with local flexibility.
- Clear Enterprise Standards: Set non-negotiable baselines across all facilities enforced through standardized training, leadership alignment, and routine compliance audits.
- Frontline Ownership: Empower local facility teams to drive site-specific hazard identification, lead safety committees, and provide continuous feedback.
- Operational Integration: Ensure safety considerations are factored into everyday business decisions rather than introduced as an afterthought.
The Power of Belonging and Psychological Safety
A key highlight of the discussion centered on the strong correlation between a culture of inclusion and physical workplace safety. Physical safety relies heavily on early detection—catching minor risks before they turn into injuries. However, employees will only report near-misses or point out potential hazards if they feel psychologically safe.
“Psychological safety is what creates an environment where employees feel comfortable saying, ‘Hey, something doesn't look right,’ before it actually becomes an incident,” Yoder said.
When employees know their voices matter and trust that leadership will listen without penalizing them, they move from passive compliance to active ownership—properly utilizing PPE, participating in risk assessments, and looking out for their colleagues.
Making Safety Practical and Accessible
When executing safety across a broad and diverse workforce, simplicity is essential. Complex, cumbersome reporting tools often discourage participation.
To keep safety programs inclusive and engaging, according to Yoder, organizations should focus on:
- User-Friendly Tools: Streamlining near-miss reporting, hazard observation systems, and visual signage so participation requires minimal friction.
- Visible Leadership: Ensuring executives and managers conduct regular safety walks, ask thoughtful questions, and demonstrate safety values through their choices.
- Practical Integration: Connecting safety with broader corporate initiatives, such as employee-led green teams that drive local sustainability and community impact.
Career Advice for Tomorrow’s EHS Leaders
For rising professionals aiming for executive-level roles, Yoder emphasizes that technical expertise alone is not enough to secure a seat at the leadership table.
- Understand how safety, risk, and regulatory compliance tie directly into the company's financial performance and operational goals.
- EHS leaders rarely manage operational teams directly; success relies on building trust, cross-functional alignment, and clear communication.
- True leadership comes from mentoring the next generation, building resilient teams, and elevating others.
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