The Challenge

Being a global leader means constant change and evaluation of internal processes. Even more so, when you add in a worldwide pandemic. For Pernod Ricard, the focus on what’s most essential is clear―the employees.

In 2018, Pernod Ricard launched a strategic plan entitled, “Transform & Accelerate,” with a clear goal to transform their organisation and improve their ways of working in order to accelerate their growth. This meant there would be a high concentration on talent development, strengthening a high performance culture and digital acceleration. Some of the guiding principles of the plan included mutualisation, prioritisation and simplification, which proved to be useful during the pandemic, as it helped teams become more agile and improve operational efficiency.

To further support their transformation and to keep employees across the globe engaged, Pernod Ricard designed a new leadership programme. However, determining the best way to facilitate the adoption of the programme became a bit of a challenge, as well as upscaling their people to develop the right skills for this model. Recognising a need to fill in the gap of where they are and where they needed to go, Pernod Ricard searched for a global solution that could upskill their mid-level managers―who they regarded as “the transmission belts” for organisational transformation.

The Result

While other forms of coaching have been implemented in the past, Pernod Ricard sought more personalised experiences to help those working remotely, in contrast to group and face-to-face meet ups.

After assessing the best approach, Pernod Ricard determined their mid-level managers across the EMEA and LATAM regions would be the first participants to receive digital coaching. The coaching strategy focused on deepening their leadership skills so they could develop further in their roles in order to provide the best support for their workers.

Coachees were able to determine their key focus areas based on internal reports given to them by their managers. They shared this information with the coaches and each session was built on strengthening and developing areas they wished to improve upon. The CoachHub framework also allowed leaders to anticipate and evolve for tomorrow’s mindset, skills and capabilities.

Upon completion of the coaching sessions, the coachees filled out a satisfaction survey which revealed:

Pernod Ricard has also expanded its coaching programme to include comprehensive and customised coaching for executives.