The Campari Group is the world’s sixth-largest player in the spirits industry and operates in 27 countries, with its headquarters in Milan. Brands such as Aperol and Campari are globally recognised. Within this international context, Emanuele Poletti leads the Global Talent Insights Team. His overarching mission is to connect people, data and business much more closely within an organisation that has traditionally not been technology-driven.
“We manage all processes that collect data about people: assessments, feedback tools, questionnaires such as Insights Discovery, engagement surveys and pulse measurements,” Poletti explains. “We bring all that data together in people analytics to identify correlations and causal relationships between human behaviour and business impact.” The team is also responsible for engagement programmes, workshops for managers and data interpretation for leadership. Data are being used to validate the impact of leadership.
From top-down to bottom-up: a cultural shift
Just three years ago, the people analytics journey at Campari was still in its infancy. Since then, the organisation’s maturity has grown significantly. “In the past, we mainly worked with a top-down approach through large global or local initiatives. We have fundamentally shifted towards a bottom-up approach. That requires a profound cultural change among managers and leaders.” Then came AI. Its first applications were primarily related to productivity. Gradually, AI was embedded into management support. “Today, we work with AI agents that help managers, for example, with how to conduct performance discussions. We also now have machine-learning models such as our flight risk model, which predicts who is likely to leave the company and what actions we can take to retain our best talent.”
Human AI: technology under human judgement
Campari works with external platforms such as Microsoft and SAP. Microsoft Copilot is being rolled out across the organisation step by step, accompanied by training programmes. Poletti’s definition of Human AI is clear: “It means embedding AI platforms and agents in a culture where human judgement remains decisive. We must not rely solely on AI for decisions. The experience of employees and managers must always outweigh purely measurable parameters.” That same human translation is central to Poletti’s HRcoreLab keynote: “I will explain how employee engagement processes translate into business data, so that leaders can respond effectively and in a well-founded way across our different markets.”
Data security and compliance: from Excel to Azure
The professionalisation of data at Campari came with a steep learning curve, particularly in terms of security and regulation. “Four years ago, we were still using Excel files. Today, we have a fully developed data model on Microsoft Azure, with API integrations to our core systems and maximum data security. We can now link all people data to business data.” The introduction of AI also raised legal questions “Together with our Legal department, it was a steep learning curve,” Poletti says. “Today, we closely monitor the implications of the new European AI Act, especially since we also use an AI platform for talent acquisition. Everything must be legally solid.”
HR as a data frontrunner within Campari
What stands out is that HR at Campari is now more data-driven than some other departments. “We are not a technology- or data-driven company by nature. But today, our HR function is more data-driven than sales or marketing. That is remarkable, because traditionally HR is often one of the last functions to make that transition.” This success is closely linked to strong sponsorship from HR leadership. “The commitment of our Chief HR Officer, who is truly data-driven, was absolutely crucial. Without that leadership, we would never have been able to sell this transformation internally to general management.”
Concrete business impact: from engagement to retention
Poletti sees the greatest gains in better-informed decision-making at both business-unit and market level. “We now see much more clearly what the challenges are and which corrective actions are needed.” One concrete example is the United Kingdom, a particularly difficult retention market for Campari. “Through data analysis, we identified the importance of engagement, culture and feedback. By investing in those areas, we are now able to retain employees more effectively there as well.” The next step is already underway: “We are now mapping correlations between engagement, salesforce, customer relations and marketing. This allows us to better understand how customer relationships are built and where we need to invest in people capabilities and leadership skills.”
Key takeaways
- Human AI and people analytics have strategically strengthened HR at Campari compared to other business units.
- Employee engagement is now measurably linked to business impact and retention.
- Human judgement remains decisive, even in a highly AI-driven context.
- Data security, regulation and executive sponsorship are critical for sustainable adoption.
- The next step lies in connecting people data with sales, marketing and customer data.
