Jeff Tomlinson ’96EMBA
Technical Manager
Hatay Brewery
Vietnam
jeff.tomlinson@hbl.com.vn
Brewing for profits
Believe it or not, Jeff Tomlinson ’96EMBA drinks beer for a living. “It’s an occupational hazard,” says Tomlinson who, as technical manager for Hatay Brewery in northern Vietnam, taste tests beer every day.
His career in suds began in Colorado, where Tomlinson interned at Anheuser-Busch while earning his degree in industrial technology at Colorado State University. After graduating from Goizueta, Tomlinson joined Heineken and embarked on an international career in beer. His first stop was the Netherlands, where Tomlinson picked up Dutch. Still with Heineken, Tomlinson relocated to Valencia, Spain, and is now fluent in Spanish.
Tomlinson lives in the capital city of Hanoi, about fifteen miles from Heineken’s Hatay Brewery in Vietnam’s Hatay Province. Built on a green field site at a cost of $65 million, the Hatay Brewery produced its first Heineken and Tiger beers last fall and is considered one of the most modern breweries in Asia.
Although Tomlinson chose Goizueta to pursue an interest in management, he credits the confidence he gained as a student for meeting the challenge of international work. Goizueta also introduced Tomlinson to Asia. Tomlinson’s graduating class visited Asia and the experience stuck with him. “What fate to be living here,” he observes.
In his tenure abroad, Tomlinson discovered that the knowledge he garnered at Goizueta has been invaluable. “The coursework I received from Goizueta relates directly to my job,” he notes. “And the collective education at Goizueta provides the overview and reference to give graduates the knowledge and confidence to make sound business decisions in almost any environment in the world.”
A bona fide Army brat, Tomlinson was born in Fort Campbell, Ky., and has lived in five countries and seven states. His longest stint was the five years he spent in Fort Collins, Colo. “I was raised with regular movement and change,” says Tomlinson. “However, the big attraction [to travel] is my interest in other cultures and the lure of new places.”
Tomlinson’s international experience has kept him open-minded. “So many expatriates go to another country thinking, ‘my home country is the best and no other country, culture, or custom can match what I have.’ Successful employees with global experience find space in their heart and lifestyle to adopt and adore some of the new customs, knowledge, and habits of the adopted country.”
Personally, Tomlinson says a strong relationship with one’s spouse is paramount when working overseas. “They’re the unrecognized heroes.”—Allison Shirreffs