Creating a future in Sales worth celebrating: A conversation with Marvin

Tell us about your current role at Diageo and what’s most exciting about it?  

My current role is Regional Manager North East Italy and Hybrid Sales Italy. I’m fortunate to do what I love every day - to listen, support, and encourage my super passionate team to always give their best, celebrating the results achieved but above all the efforts made. The secret lies in finding the right balance between coaching the team to challenge their boundaries and go beyond their comfort zones, encouraging initiative, and generating learning opportunities. 

What makes me most proud is seeing the team sharing ideas, taking on responsibilities, experimenting, and finding innovative solutions to create winning strategies that have a direct impact on market performance and our company's results. 

What’s special about working in sales at Diageo? 

I find nothing more rewarding than the connection and interaction with people every day, whether with clients or colleagues. Building authentic relationships with clients, anticipating their needs, and understanding new market challenges to find shared solutions, while maintaining the excellent distribution and execution quality that contributes to the company's success, makes the job really special. My background as a bartender and brand ambassador has given me a unique perspective; every meeting is an opportunity to convey my passion for the industry and our brands.

How did your career path evolve and lead to your current role? 

My career has followed a path of constant growth within the alcohol industry. I started working with spirits during my university studies, where I worked as a bartender in renowned clubs and hotels. This allowed me to develop excellent skills in mixology and customer service. My journey at Diageo started in 2018, managing relationships with venues, where I cultivated a deep passion for our products, categories, and consumers. I later moved to revenue management, working directly with beverage wholesalers, both local and national, across Italy. These experiences helped me better understand the market and refine sales and marketing strategies, recently allowing me to step into a much-desired position in people management. 

The connection with my life purpose, which I define as ‘be a good wave in the chaos of life’, has played a significant role in my journey at Diageo because it has helped me face various changes and challenges with a positive attitude. This approach not only helps me overcome difficulties with serenity and resilience, but also to feel at ease in any situation. 

Working for an international company like Diageo gives me the opportunity to one day work in other markets, driving me to give my best to grow and improve. The idea of making a difference, not only in my home country but the potential of one day to work in other markets across Diageo, pushes me to continue growing and improving. 

What skills / capabilities have helped you thrive in your career so far? 

I’m results-driven and have an innate curiosity. Also, my engineering education provided me with solid analytical, organisation and planning foundations, but above all, I learned to manage pressure and work while keeping calm. Empathy, a positive attitude, and relationship-building are also my strong points. Alongside this, having a learning mindset has helped me recognise my limits. My first rule is to admit what I don’t know without excuses and work hard to learn, as quickly as possible. 

Ambition is a key driver that pushes me to always give my best. I constantly strive to “be like a spring” (advice given by our General Manager, whom I admire greatly), the more time and energy I invest in hard work, while staying focused on my personal and professional growth objectives, the more powerful will be the release, and therefore the success and progress I will be able to achieve. 

Tell us about a campaign or project that you’ve been working on recently. What have you learned through this work, what surprised you and what have you loved about it?  

I’m particularly proud to have contributed to the launch of the Hybrid Sales project for Italy because it embodies the pillars of innovation and digitalisation, fundamental values for Diageo and equally important for me. 

This project, which aims to develop a hybrid approach with customers by creating effective customer proposals to unlock growth opportunities through balanced hybrid relationships (on the phone, email, WhatsApp, in person visits, and Diageo One), has developed me and has given me the opportunity to interact with colleagues from other countries and understand their strategic visions. 

Thanks to this journey, I have improved my business planning skills and long-term strategies, in addition to growing resilience and problem-solving abilities. What I loved about this project was seeing ideas come to life and becoming reality in a short time.

What does "Venturo" brand mean to you? 

It’s the feeling of relaxation on a Mediterranean beach with the sea breeze, in the company of dear people. Venturo is not just an aperitif, but an invitation to celebrate life's important moments. I’m extremely proud to be part of this historic launch, Venturo for me represents our ability to dream big and create something truly unique.