Name: Corentin Coubes
Age: 27
Job title: Project manager – financial reporting transformation
Company & location: The Absolut Company, Sweden
Education: Université Paris Dauphine – Master’s degree in Control, Governance & Strategies
Why did you decide to go for a career in food? I have always been eager to work in an industry where the product is meaningful to me. The food and drink industry felt like the perfect fit – it’s always a sector that has stood out to me. I love the joy and special moments you get to share with people when food and drink is involved. These ‘convivial’ moments sit at the very heart of Pernod Ricard’s strategy and culture as a business and team.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): As a project manager working in digital transformation, the overarching objective is to understand and keep pace with the constantly evolving needs and requirements of the business. My role is about making sure our organisation stays on track to reach the goals we’ve set out. It requires a lot of flexibility and agility from the team – needless to say, plenty of challenges always come up along the journey.
What does a typical day look like for you? It consists of a lot of communication with various stakeholders from across the business, setting up and adjusting plans, and trying to anticipate and mitigate potential risks that could potentially get in the way of us meeting our goals.
Tell us about how you went about applying for your job: Initially, I started working at Pernod Ricard’s headquarters in Paris. After a year, I joined The Absolut Company and have been working here now for just over three years. I was eager to join The Absolut Company as I was eager to experience working abroad while remaining within the same group, with the same values and culture that I love.
I didn’t actually get the job I initially applied for. However, I was given the opportunity to take up another role in a different team that had a vacancy. I don’t recall any specific questions, they were more concerned about getting to know me as a person, what led me to apply for the role, and what I felt I could bring to the team. It felt very personable and not formulaic.
“To create and enable moments that people enjoy and get to share with each other. This is meaningful to me, and I can tell it matters to my colleagues as well”
What’s the best part about working for a food company? I really enjoy working for a business that produces a tangible product, that consumers get to hold in their hands, and taste – it makes the work I do feel extremely concrete. On top of delivering the products itself, I am proud to be part of delivering our wider company purpose, to create and enable moments that people enjoy and get to share with each other. This is meaningful to me, and I can tell it matters to my colleagues as well.
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? The biggest misconception about the drinks industry is that people get to drink alcohol all the time. This just isn’t true: working in the industry doesn’t mean you have to love drinking alcohol or consume the product regularly.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? Look for companies or brands that inspire you, and just go for it! The best advice I can give is to look to work in an industry that you have a real interest in. For me, having a genuine passion for the brand is the key to feeling fulfilled in my role and excited about my future career path. It’s also important to remember that you’re not expected to already be an expert in the area that you are applying to – an interest and a clear desire to learn will stand you in good stead.
What’s your ultimate career dream? I want to continue enjoying life abroad, discovering new cultures and continuing to learn from as many people as I can. Long term, I can eventually see myself starting my own business – but that is an ambition much further down the road.
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