Episode 26 – Ángel Gonnet Bebidas RD | Operational leadership in beverage manufacturing – Keru Podcast
Making tough decisions in beverage manufacturing – Ángel Gonell Bebidas RD
Ángel Gonell was Operations Director at Bebidas RD, where he led the operational transformation of Agua Crystal and Agua Alaska, two key brands in the Dominican beverage market. His experience also includes his time at Vinícola del Norte, where he managed winemaking and production processes in the wine industry, as well as his key role at Sealy, a multinational dedicated to manufacturing mattresses and furniture, where he was responsible for more than 900 people, led the implementation of new assembly lines and optimized the materials supply chain.
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With more than 20 years of experience, he worked at companies such as Casa Brugal, Fenwal (Fresenius Kabi), Vinícola del Norte and Sealy, where he led teams of up to 900 people, implementing world-class industrial processes.
- ⚙️ How to lead in industries with low margins and high operational demands
- 🎯 Making critical decisions under pressure
- 👥 Developing operational leaders from within the team
- 🚨 Crisis management, industrial culture and a continuous improvement mindset
A candid, technical episode on how to maintain excellence when every decision affects profitability.
Ángel Gonell · Dominican Republic
Ángel Gonell Bebidas RD was Operations Director, one of the main bottling companies in the Dominican Republic. Under his leadership, the company modernized its Agua Crystal and Agua Alaska production lines, optimizing operational efficiency, improving traceability and strengthening quality standards at every stage of the industrial process. He implemented lean methodologies, reorganized plant teams and established performance indicators aligned with international best practices.
Every bad decision in this industry can cost me the entire margin.
Previously, he had an outstanding career at Casa Brugal, a benchmark in the alcoholic beverage industry in the Caribbean. There he held the positions of Production Manager and later Plant Manager, leading multidisciplinary teams in a highly regulated and technical environment. He was responsible for implementing continuous improvement systems, reducing downtime and ensuring the operational stability of the bottling and fermentation lines.
Operational availability is our language, not pretty speeches.
He also worked in the pharmaceutical sector as Maintenance Manager at Fenwal Dominicana, now Fresenius Kabi, a global medical device company. In that role, he led the maintenance of critical equipment, aligning the operation with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and FDA standards, and contributing directly to the plant's quality certification.
You can't improvise when mistakes are paid for with lost market share.
Projects no longer belong to the manager; they belong to the team.
His experience also includes his time at Vinícola del Norte, where he managed winemaking and production processes in the wine industry, as well as his key role at Sealy, a multinational dedicated to manufacturing mattresses and furniture, where he was responsible for more than 900 people, led the implementation of new assembly lines and optimized the materials supply chain.
True leadership is forged in crisis-filled early mornings, not in planning afternoons.
With more than two decades in operational leadership positions, Ángel Gonnet established himself as a benchmark in the professionalization of industrial plants in Latin America, standing out for his strategic vision, change management capability and development of high-performance teams. In this way, he brings broad knowledge of operations. – Angel Gonell Republica Dominicana.
Production Manager
Episode 26 · Keru Podcast
