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Over the past 15 years at The Lowlands Group, Ileana Rivera has held many roles since starting as a bartender. In her current role as Chief Operating Officer, she oversees all restaurant operations including culinary and beverage development and puts a strong emphasis on creating opportunities and career growth for Lowlands’ 700-plus employees across eight restaurants in the Milwaukee area and Madison.
“My mom and dad are from Puerto Rico, and they came here with nothing,” Rivera says. “My whole life was made possible by my mom working incredibly hard to provide me with opportunities. That’s why I’ve worked so hard – because every day, I had a strong woman in front of me who had worked her way from the bottom.”
Rivera has helped guide the company through COVID while continuing to build on the community and culture. She has expanded the Lowland Brewing Collaborative, which pairs the restaurant group with world-class brewers to create unique beers, and most recently she received the honor of being this year’s only American-born restaurant inductee into Belgium’s Knighthood of the Brewers Paddle for her work promoting Belgian beer in the United States.
“A few years ago, my mom asked me what my legacy would be,” Rivera says. “I hope that I can provide a strong example as a female Latina in Wisconsin. I hope I can be a role model for people who are striving every day, to know that they can come from anywhere and succeed.”
“I thrive helping other people reach their potential.”
– Ileana Rivera
Q&A
You were recently knighted by the Belgian Brewers Guild for your work promoting Belgian beer. What was the experience like?
Well, it’s my 15th year at Lowlands Group. It really feels like a pinnacle year for me. When I started in my beverage role with the company, we were meeting with Belgian brewers and learning these multigenerational stories. It’s such an amazing niche. We’ve become really involved in working with the brewers. As Americans, we’re ambassadors of telling Belgian beer’s story and showing their cultures in the States. The Belgian Brewers Guild is the oldest living brewers guild in the world. Typically, the knighthood goes to brewers, but they decided to extend honorary knighthood to those of us who are living that lifestyle and celebrating Belgian beer culture here. I feel really honored to be a part of that.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
I chose this path because I like people. In management, we focus on cultivating growth within our staff. I’d say about 80% of our managers come from within the organization. I really enjoy seeing people grow. My mom was an educator, and I think there’s an aspect of teaching to the work I do now. I thrive off of helping other people succeed because, at the start of my career, I was helped in the same way.
I also find it really rewarding to see our guests happy. I enjoy seeing them out on our patios in the warm weather, or sitting in the bar, having brunch, just talking – that’s why I decided to be in this field. At the end of the day, it’s the smiles of the people having great experiences at our restaurants.
What advice would you have for someone at the start of their career hoping to reach a leadership position like you have?
I think about this question a lot. As a Latino in Wisconsin, there aren’t a lot of people in my field like this who’ve been able to work their way up. I hope that I can provide a strong example of being female, being Latina, being from Wisconsin. You have to work hard. My mom believed in the American Dream. That’s why I worked as hard as I did. If you put in the effort and time into anything you do, whether it’s school or work, it’s all possible.
