A Tech environnent built on collective spirit
In the ever-evolving world of tech, some careers stand out for their diversity, depth, and vision. This is the case of Paola Benatti, now Chapter Director at Pernod Ricard, the world’s leading premium wine & spirit company. From her early days in IT at the dawn of the internet to coordinating talent across five continents, Paola’s career is shaped by curiosity, leadership, and a passion for collaboration.
A rich journey fueled by hands-on experience
Paola’s professional story began at a pivotal moment: the rise of the internet. Her first IT role threw her straight into the digital world as IT manager in a startup. There, she learned the discipline required to manage large-scale information systems, while laying the groundwork for a leadership style centered on proximity and innovation.
She then explored other avenues, working as a freelancer—an experience that exposed her to a wide range of projects and client realities, sharpening her adaptability. Her five-year stint at a cruise company added a strong international and complex logistical dimension to her already rich experience.
She later returned to retail, taking on an IT management role at Fnac, where she led new digital initiatives in a demanding omnichannel environment. When she joined Pernod Ricard Italia as IT Director, it was the project that convinced her: putting tech at the heart of a heritage brand and contributing to the Group’s transformation.
She quickly progressed, taking responsibility for IT in Southern Europe, then Front Office IT for EMEA & Latin America, before becoming Chapter Director within the Global Tech team.
A pivotal role at the heart of the tech organization
At Pernod Ricard, the tech function is the first truly global function. In practice, this means teams are spread across the group’s Paris headquarters, regional hubs, and affiliates to ensure business proximity. Team members might have their manager or team in another country and work daily with colleagues across the globe. To foster upskilling and connection, the Tech organization is structured into Chapters. These transversal structures bring together employees by area of technological expertise.
My role is to make sure we’re all moving in the same direction, that human resource allocation is smart.
There are 3 different chapters organizations at Pernod Ricard divided within Data, Enterprise Architecture and Global Engineering Services. Paola oversees the 10 Global engineering services chapters : Software Engineering, Middleware Engineering, Modern Workplace, Network Engineering, Data Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering, ERP Development, ERP functional, ERP Admin, Platform Engineering, They are led by Chapter Leads, who act both as technical experts—supporting teams, building practices, building training plans tied to technical-critical skills—and as community leads, fostering community engagement and managing talent allocation.
Chapters are more than just skill clusters: they are hubs for exchange, growth, and collaborative innovation. They help employees gain perspective, understand career evolutions, and access tailored training.
A rich and hybrid environment
The technical landscape Paola and her teams oversee is vast, spanning all technologies used across the group. But beyond the tools, it’s the culture of collaboration that defines daily life.
From whiteboards, Jira, Teams, interactive presentations, and ice breakers to conferences, the teams are always exploring new ways to work together—often tailored to each Chapter.
Each Chapter member benefits from a common onboarding framework to understand the purpose of the community, get to know the products, and embrace the ways of working.
This agile and human-centric approach promotes not only operational efficiency but also team engagement across the globe.
Conviviality as a trademark
If there’s one word that Paola often uses when talking about Pernod Ricard, it’s conviviality. This conviviality is paired with strong ethics, a commitment to teams, and a real focus on opportunity. Whether it’s about learning, evolving, changing scope, or working in another country, employees at Pernod Ricard find a stimulating, caring, and opportunity-rich environment.
At Pernod Ricard, tech moves forward with a collective spirit—driven by people like Paola Benatti who combine experience, curiosity, and a desire to help others grow. In an environment where conviviality is more than a buzzword, it’s a vibrant culture that inspires everyone, every day, to build together.
- Vues52