One Year In: Hernan Tabah Shares Details on Suntory Global Spirits’ Data-and AI-Powered Optimization Strategy

Hernan Tabah, SVP & Chief Digital Technology Officer, Suntory Global Spirits

Last September, Suntory Global Spirits made the decision to centralize its IT, digital strategy, delivery, and experience teams under a single leader. As a result, it named Hernan Tabah to the role of SVP and chief digital and technology officer.

Now a year in, Tabah shares details about the company’s strategic runway toward digital transformation, providing details about Suntory Global Spirits’ optimized go-to-market strategy, artificial intelligence integrations, and the core mindset that digital innovation is a value-creation opportunity, instead of simply an expense on the bottom line.

Originally from Argentina, Tabah relocated to the U.S. where he worked with major companies in CPG such as Altria and Mondelez International. At Suntory Global Spirits, he’s helping shape the future of consumer engagement, e-commerce, and innovation.

“The whole concept of my role is aligned with our new strategy to become the world’s most admired premium spirits company to drive transformation in a super curated, high-quality way,” says Tabah. In order to do so, the company needed to have a very curated, efficient supply chain as well, and it needed to form a strong partnership with commercial teams across the globe using data and technology.

Also: Learn more about Suntory’s rebrand as part of this transformation

The Role Then and Now

Suntory established the position to reshape the way the company provides frictionless consumer experiences by getting closer to consumers, optimizing go-to-market strategies using technology and data, and changing the way the company thinks about supply chain from forecasting and digital procurement to data and digital manufacturing, he says.

It’s a mission with alignment starting at the executive leadership level, but with digital as a business strategy rather than a technology strategy. The approach itself is fluid though, according to Tabah, because the digital vision needs to continuously adapt as technology evolves.