Foundations of Flavor: Strategic Support for a Luxury Beverage Leader

Client Overview

Our client is a private equity-backed distributor at the forefront of the luxury wines and spirits industry. As the wines and spirits division of a globally recognized luxury goods conglomerate, the organization combines premium product offerings with a commitment to sustainability, diversity, and innovation. Operating across prestigious terroirs and global retail networks, they deliver bespoke experiences that celebrate heritage, craftsmanship, and a forward-thinking approach to luxury brand stewardship.

With a mission to shape the future of high-end beverage alcohol from nature to community, the company blends deep winemaking expertise with excellence in hospitality, retail, and digital experience. Their talent philosophy prioritizes continuous learning and inclusive growth, offering professionals expansive opportunities to evolve within a rich, multinational ecosystem.

The Challenge / Mandate

As part of a broader enterprise transformation initiative, the client required a Strategy Consultant to directly support the Strategy & Transformation leadership team. The mandate involved driving project management execution across a diverse portfolio of strategic initiatives—including market analysis, internal capability assessment, and competitive benchmarking.

The consultant was tasked with:

• Supporting workshop planning and facilitating executive-level strategy sessions.
• Consolidating data and delivering actionable insights on beverage alcohol category dynamics and competitor trends.
• Conducting financial modeling in support of commercial and operational decision-making.
• Developing polished, high-impact deliverables in PowerPoint for executive and board-level communication.

Beyond these deliverables, the consultant was expected to seamlessly collaborate with cross-functional leaders, maintain agility across multiple workstreams, and bring a disciplined, insights-driven approach to planning and execution.

Search Strategy

The search focused on finding a high-caliber consultant with a proven foundation in strategy execution, stakeholder engagement, and operational problem solving. Key criteria included:

• 3–5 years of top-tier management consulting experience, ideally with exposure to consumer goods, retail, or premium brand clients.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Demonstrated ability to translate abstract business challenges into structured work plans, clear insights, and actionable next steps.
• Experience managing project timelines and cross-functional communication within high-performance environments.
• A hands-on, flexible workstyle with excellent organizational and communication skills.

We prioritized candidates with a blend of strategic rigor and operational pragmatism—individuals capable of both shaping insights and executing with speed and accuracy.

The Placement

We placed a seasoned Strategy and PMO leader with a background in both consulting and in-house transformation leadership roles. With deep expertise in operations strategy, business planning, and digital transformation, the consultant had a proven track record of scaling enterprise delivery and driving measurable business outcomes.

Previously serving as a trusted advisor to executive teams, the consultant had led strategic planning and operational design efforts across industries including Finance, Technology, Supply Chain, and SaaS. With a strong analytical foundation and experience managing portfolios exceeding $250M in spend, the candidate was well-equipped to embed quickly and provide immediate value.

The Outcome

The consultant quickly became a trusted partner to the Strategy & Transformation team—spearheading workshop design, guiding critical path planning, and driving alignment across concurrent initiatives. By delivering clear, visually compelling materials for executive audiences and surfacing relevant market and category insights, the consultant helped sharpen decision-making and accelerate project execution.

As a result of this engagement:

• Key transformation projects progressed ahead of schedule, supported by well-structured milestones and cross-functional engagement.
• Competitive and category analyses enabled stronger positioning and strategic investment planning.
• The Strategy team elevated the clarity, structure, and impact of internal presentations—receiving positive feedback from senior stakeholders.

The consultant’s leadership contributed to the successful rollout of the client’s new transformation roadmap. Their performance prompted conversations about extending or converting the role into a longer-term strategic advisory capacity.