This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tony Latham, the 53-year-old President of Bacardi North America, based in Miami. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
I’m from Australia, and I’ve worked in consumer goods at well-known companies such as SC Johnson, Danone, and Unilever.
The US is the eighth country I’ve lived in in the past 25 years; I moved around a lot with those companies. I spent about 10 years in Asia, about eight in Europe, and when I joined Bacardi in 2019, I was the global CFO, based in Bermuda.
I took over as president of Bacardi North America in April 2023 and moved to Miami. Here’s a typical day in my life.
I wake up at 5:30 a.m.
I spent some time in the military, so I like getting up early. I enjoy a bit of peace and solitude by myself in the morning.
I have an Oura ring, and I was an early adopter of wearable fitness technology. I always check the quality of my sleep and my readiness for the day, and make any adjustments I feel I need based on the technology’s inputs.
In the first 30 minutes of my day, I have an espresso from my Nespresso machine
I also have a banana and some yogurt before everyone else in the house wakes up, which is quite nice.
I like to work out four or five days a week, and then a couple of times on the weekend. I have a three-car garage that I’ve converted into a home gym.
I live with my wife of 20 years, who’s Canadian, and our two sons — one is a high-school junior, and the other just graduated.
After working out, I have a second breakfast
By that time, the house is pretty hectic with the boys waking up and rushing out the door. I tend to have a second breakfast on the commute to work, or when I get to the office.
I’ve got about a 45-minute commute, and that gives me an opportunity to either make some calls (our headquarters in Bermuda is an hour ahead of us) or reflect on the day ahead and listen to some music.
Whenever I’m in Miami, I’m in the office. We’ve recently opened a new one, and it’s a beautiful, modern space in the Coral Gables area.
I travel anywhere from two to three weeks a month
Depending on meetings in Bermuda, I have a lot of domestic travel, visiting our key markets, our commercial people out in the field, and customers.
There could be brand activations around big sporting events or big music festivals, where I may be taking customers or interacting with consumers.
I try not to schedule meetings before 10 a.m.
I’m not always successful at that. When I get to the office, I like to get through a few things early in the morning and set myself up for a day where I can be fully present for the meetings I’m in. Once my meetings start, they’re scheduled through until about 3 p.m.
I use AI in my workday to collect and analyze data across the business. Having information at our fingertips helps us make decisions more quickly.
When considering potential personal investments, I love using AI to generate summaries. I might ask an AI for a quick moat assessment to understand a company’s competitive advantages before I invest.
I have lunch at the office
We have lunch catered in the office. I try to meet for lunch in our common space. There’s usually a lot of conversation and banter. It’s a great opportunity to recharge in the middle of the day for the afternoon.
I like to be visible and available to the team. I spend a lot of time walking around the office and checking in with people.
After lunch, it’s back to meetings
I’ve got visibility on my schedule two months out, but there can be some fluidity around travel. Bacardi’s global leadership team meetings in Bermuda and our board meetings are scheduled more than 12 months in advance.
At 3 p.m., after meetings are over, I might go to a local account to provide support. It could be an on-premises venue, a bar, or a restaurant. I meet with the owners before they get busy.
If I’m still at the office, I typically leave between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The traffic in Miami has gotten increasingly worse over the past couple of years. I’ll quite often have a look at the traffic and make a decision based on the traffic patterns.
My boys both play sports, so I might be running back to pick one of them up from training or to get them to a sporting match.
On the first three days of the week, my wife cooks dinner
I have business dinners a few times a week. The household at the end of the day is a bit manic. My wife is a Pilates instructor, so she might be out teaching courses between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
If we get to sit down and have a meal together at the house, that’s great. Occasionally, we’ll order in, particularly as the week comes to an end and everybody might be getting a little weary.
I like to cook on the weekends. I love to grill, and I’ve got a really good outdoor kitchen set up. I like to make homemade pizzas and steaks on the weekends.
Miami is a great place to visit, so we often have visitors, particularly in the winter months, from up north. My wife’s parents sometimes look to escape the Canadian winter and come down to spend some winter months here. We love hosting and entertaining.
I try to avoid going back to work after dinner
I find that my productivity levels are not what they were at the beginning of the day. In the evenings, I like to read about current affairs.
I’ve gotten into streaming a few shows, though I’m not one to sit in front of the TV for long. When I travel, I work on the plane and stream a few shows. I’ve been watching The Night Agent, The Recruit, and The Gentleman.
I try to get to bed around 9:30 p.m.
I find that sleep is by far the most important thing for me right now, so I try to eat a little earlier. I aim for a good seven-plus hours of high-quality sleep, but I’m all about a balanced lifestyle. I love making a cocktail, particularly when I’m barbecuing on the weekend.
Among my go-to cocktails is the Bacardi Ocho Old Fashioned, where the aged rum complements the citrus and aromatic bitters. As for my favorite Bacardi product, if I had to pick now, I’m really enjoying Patrón Reposado, which adds richness and a hint of sweetness to a spicy margarita.
If I have a cocktail, I keep it to one or two drinks, drink plenty of water, and try not to have them too late in the evening.
I try to keep the getting up early routine going on the weekends
I use that time to do a bit of work, trying not to disrupt the day’s balance while still keeping that routine of getting up.
I eat something, do a bit of work, and work out because the boys tend to sleep in a little longer on weekends, which gives my wife and me time to connect.
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