I care what the consumer thinks, not only the experts
Mélina Py likes to step out of her comfort zone to improve her career skills and experiences. Not only was she the first woman to serve as plant director at Pernod’s plant in Southern France, early 2000s, but she later became the first woman to serve on the Cognac committee for Martell in West France.
“My move to Cognac was driven by a willingness to step out of my comfort zone, moving from a typical production position to a more supply- and ‘political’-focused role. It was all completely new,” says Mélina. “It was a special moment, especially being in an ecosystem like Cognac, but it was super interesting, with great partnerships!
In January 2026, Mélina “once again stepped out of her comfort zone” by accepting a new leadership role to bring Pernod Ricard’s R&D divisions together. We managed to find some time in Mélina’s busy schedule to learn what her new role entails and why she believes the consumer will always be your main boss.
What made you decide to join the drinks industry?
The emotional piece matters to me. Before the spirits industry, I worked at a dairy food company, where I tested products every day. The connection with the product and process, and the link to the terroir, is very important to me. The dairy food company used to be a cooperative, so the link to a milk producer is the same as in the spirits industry, where your ingredients are linked to the terroir and growers. You can feel it, you can touch it. It’s life and it embraces communities.
What is your current role and what are your three key areas of focus?
My role is Chief R&D Officer for Crystal and Gold Units. It’s a new role. R&D used to be part of the operational scope of all VPs of operations worldwide, but this new role is for a single VP overseeing R&D as a single function for Pernod Ricard. That means the first element of the mission is organisational: building a single global, silo-free R&D team that connects with one another.
The second part is business: innovation should account for 50% of net sales growth. We have to create an inflection point to change how we prepare for the future, including the design and discovery phases, through new technical platforms to provide solutions.
The last part is transformation: it’s about people and the integration of new skills, always with the consumer in mind.
What are the challenges and opportunities in your role?
We talk a lot about consumer-centricity and that the consumer is your ultimate boss. But we have to test more and I’m testing products with the team every week. The consumer’s view, whether young or old, male or female, is more relevant than that of the expert.
I have made many market visits since taking on the new position, too. I remember my first trip to the US, the first time I went to a liquor store and saw all the RTD products on the shelves. It was just crazy. I don’t know how the consumer can choose. We may have the best product in the world, but if it’s not visible on the shelves, what’s the point? That is why putting the consumer at the core of what we do every day is super important.
The consumer’s view, whether young or old, male or female, is more relevant than that of the expert.
The competitive landscape is also key to follow; the consumer is not going to evaluate our product; they will choose an experience among many possibilities…
We have a wealth of consumer insights and foresight, but we need to make the most of them. Our decisions need to be data-driven and fact-based. Everybody has woken up with a beautiful idea, such as “this bottle would be great in pink”, but unless our decisions are grounded in facts, we will be going back and forth.
There are many opportunities, and for me, prioritisation is key. I would prefer to have less innovation – but with more impact and the ability to scale. We need to accelerate time-to-market without compromising product quality, achieve perfect execution to get it right the first time, and do so with a sustainable approach.
How would you describe your management style?
First and foremost, collaboration is key for me. For example, when R&D meets with suppliers, it’s important to have the global brand team or the global innovation team there as well, because we don’t share the same perspective.
It’s important to accept that you’ll make some mistakes, don’t be afraid to take some risks and enjoy yourself, always!
Empowerment is important, while inspiration is part of my roadmap. I’m always asking myself how to inspire people. We should also remember that we are not doing surgery – a patient isn’t going to die. So, it’s important to accept that you’ll make some mistakes, don’t be afraid to take some risks and enjoy yourself, always!
What behaviours do you need to be a leader in an international group like Pernod Ricard?
This is something I’m currently working on because I have a team scattered all over the world, in Sweden, Ireland, Scotland, North & South America and Southern Europe, for example. We have organised workshops with my direct team so we can begin to understand the behavioural mechanisms of each culture and what is specific to each one.
Testing products in Sweden, North America, India or France isn’t the same, but it helps you get a sense of a market’s cultural bias, which is crucial to keep the link with the consumer.
What’s been the biggest change you’ve seen over the past decade?
If you go back a couple of decades, many people used to socialise through alcohol. If you wanted to meet people or a friend, you had to drink. Now it’s no longer the case. That is the first big change.
The experience and the moment of consumption are becoming increasingly important.
The second is that you don’t have one consumer for one product; you could have one consumer who drinks non-alcoholic drinks at lunch, but maybe has a couple of whiskies on the weekend when they want to be alone and relax. The experience and the moment of consumption are becoming increasingly important. We must accept that there is a multifaceted approach to consumers and build opportunities to fit with it.
What has been your favourite campaign/initiative at Pernod Ricard?
I love the Malibu campaign with Brian Cox and the Absolut Tabasco campaign. I think they are super creative and super bold.
What motivates you in your current role?
My team wants to make a strong impact and it is a fascinating time for us all to develop the technical platforms. It’s all about connection and data. We used to reinvent the wheel everywhere at Pernod Ricard, while our level of knowledge and expertise is high.
If I take the example of non-alcoholic drinks, we have expertise in France, Spain, India and Greece, but the people don’t necessarily know each other. What matters is connecting our people for the benefit of our consumers and our business. It’s also about fun, inspiration, creativity and fact-based approaches, because we need to introduce science and AI into everything we do.
What was the most defining moment of your career?
I am not one who plans a career; for me, it is all about opportunities, connections and network. When I moved from Pernod to Martell, my only request was to be completely out of my comfort zone – it is a great way to develop yourself.
When I moved to Cognac, I did not know anyone and knew nothing about the Place, but the journey was fantastic. Similarly, in my new role, we are starting almost from scratch. At the beginning, it was like a tsunami, but as soon as you accept letting it go, just feel it and go for it, it becomes enjoyable. I am 54, life is all about pleasure!
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t question yourself; just go for it and enjoy yourself. All is about connections with friends, team and consumers!
What is your favourite cocktail?
A classic sour, Martell Blue Swift – if you’ve never tried one, you should!
