Transforming BEES into AB InBev’s Global Commerce Platform

Executive Summary

Led the transformation of BEES from a small digital initiative into AB InBev’s flagship commerce platform generating $40B+ in GMV. By building a centralized UX organization of 120+ professionals and implementing a unified design system, we achieved dramatic improvements in conversion rates, AOV, and user experience quality, while establishing design as a key strategic partner at the C-level with direct P&L accountability.

Role: Sr. Global Director of Product Design, UX Research, and UX Writing (most senior UX role at AB Inbev)
Tenure: 2019 – 2024
Team Growth: From a team of 4 to 120+ team members across the US, Brazil, Mexico, and Israel
Scope: 20+ B2B, DTC, and internal platforms | 25+ markets | 15M+ users
Additional Scope: Led the Cart & Checkout, and Post-Sales Product teams

Strategic Business Context

When I joined in 2019, BEES was a small pilot initiative within AB InBev with limited design resources and minimal business integration. The organization faced a critical inflection point: transform from a localized experiment into a global commerce engine capable of supporting AB InBev’s ambitious digital transformation goals. This required not just better design execution, but a fundamental reimagining of how design could drive business value at scale.

The pre-BEES Customer Experience in 2019 (before the rebranding and consolidation efforts)

The BEES Customer Experience in 2024

Leadership Approach and Organizational Design

As the design organization’s architectural leader, I implemented three key strategic frameworks:

Organizational Structure

I evolved our operating model from a decentralized, market-based approach to a Centralized Partnership model (based on Peter Merholz’s framework) that balanced specialized expertise with delivery flexibility. This structure enabled us to:

  • Load-balance design resources across fluctuating product priorities
  • Maintain consistent quality standards across 20+ applications
  • Develop specialized expertise in key domains (research, design systems, content)
  • Scale efficiently from 4 to 120+ UX professionals while maintaining quality

 

 

Centralized Partnership – Peter Merholz

Career Development Framework

I built the most comprehensive talent development system in the organization:

  • Created specialized career paths for designers, researchers, and writers
  • Implemented structured mentorship programs and growth tracks
  • Defined clear progression criteria from individual contributors to directors
  • Established a hiring framework that increased team diversity and retention

Design Quality and Measurement

I replaced qualitative design assessment with objective measurement:

  • Shifted from NPS to UMUX and Baymard Institute benchmarking
  • Implemented a UX audit framework that increased our score from 16.9 (poor) to 61.5 (good)
  • Created direct connections between UX improvements and business metrics
  • Established Design QA as a standard process step across all products

 

BEES’ 2022 Baymard Audit Score

 

BEES 2023 Baymard Audit Score and Benchmarks

Strategic Initiatives and Business Impact

Design System Unification

I created and scaled HEXA, our first unified design system, which became the standard across all AB InBev applications. This initiative:

  • Reduced layout creation time by 30%
  • Ensured accessibility and consistency at scale
  • Enabled rapid expansion into new markets
  • Provided a framework for third-party marketplace integration
  • Tightened the bond between design and engineering

The HEXA Design System

Commerce Experience Transformation

As both Product and Design leader for the Cart and Checkout and Post-Sales teams, I led several high-impact initiatives:

  • Multicart Experience: Redesigned checkout to support multiple 3P vendors simultaneously
  • Personalization Engine: Implemented ML-based recommendation flows that increased AOV by 35%
  • Financial Integration: Created frictionless credit access and recurring order experiences
  • Post-Sales Experience: Streamlined support, returns, and tracking workflows

Platform Expansion

I guided the design evolution of BEES’ expanding product suite:

  • Customer-Facing: BEES Apps, BEES Bank, TaDa, Zé Delivery
  • Partner and Seller Tools: Link (chain-store management), Partner Portal, Supplier Portal
  • Internal Ops Tools: Force (field ops), Deliver (logistics), Grow (customer service)

The BEES Platform

Measurable Business Results

  • Unified 20+ products under a centralized UX strategy
  • Increased cart conversion by 59% and checkout completion by 33% through Shop by Brand A/B testing
  • Boosted AOV by 35% via personalization, credit, and upsell flows
  • Established HEXA as the company-wide standard design system
  • Earned strategic influence at the C-level, with direct P&L accountability
  • Helped scale the platform to $40B+ in GMV and 3.7M monthly active users with a 20% YoY growth rate

Strategic Insights for Future Growth

The BEES transformation demonstrates three critical leadership principles that apply to any organization scaling design impact:

  1. Proactivity Drives Influence: Going beyond immediate scope by prototyping destination-state experiences helped shape roadmaps and earn stakeholder confidence early.
  2. Design Must Connect to Business: By delivering measurable results tied directly to business outcomes, we elevated design from a service function to a strategic driver with C-level influence.
  3. Measurement Is Essential: Pairing qualitative UX insights with quantitative performance data transformed design from subjective opinion to objective business value.

Through this journey, BEES evolved from a regional experiment to a global commerce platform that transformed AB InBev’s relationship with both customers and partners, establishing a foundation for continued digital growth across the organization.

 

BEES 2023 KPIs