Benedetto Conversano is a senior business leader with over 30 years of experience in digital transformation roles across a variety of industries. In his executive career, Benedetto has held leadership roles at Diageo, Avon, Jerónimo Martins, IKEA, and Procter & Gamble. During his tenure as Global Chief Information Officer at... Read more
Benedetto Conversano is a senior business leader with over 30 years of experience in digital transformation roles across a variety of industries.
In his executive career, Benedetto has held leadership roles at Diageo, Avon, Jerónimo Martins, IKEA, and Procter & Gamble.
During his tenure as Global Chief Information Officer at Diageo, he built a Digital & Technology function from the ground up, establishing best-in-class data and analytics teams, modern cybersecurity practices, and successfully pioneering the adoption of artificial intelligence.
Prior to Diageo, Benedetto served as Senior Vice President and Chief Digital & Information Officer at Avon, where he led the digital transformation of its direct-selling beauty business. At Jerónimo Martins, a Portugal-based international retailer, he was Group Chief Information Officer, where he launched the company’s first online business.
At IKEA, Benedetto was Chief Enterprise Architect, responsible for implementing the company’s first e-commerce platform.
Earlier in his career, Benedetto spent 15 years at Procter & Gamble, holding a series of executive roles in Business Intelligence, Global Business Services, Supply Chain Forecasting, and CRM.
He is currently an active member of the Digital Advisory Board at Mars Petcare, where he contributes his expertise to advance digital capabilities in the pet care industry.
He previously served as a Non-Executive Director at Satellite Applications Catapult, a UK-based innovation and technology company focused on accelerating the growth of the satellite applications sector. His past board memberships also include Greenspring Associates Venture Capital and IKEA Food, reflecting his broad experience in guiding organizations through digital innovation and transformation.
Benedetto holds a Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Bari, where he developed his first satellite application software for decoding Synthetic Aperture Radar signals.
He built his first AI systems in high school, creating software for computer games.
Originally from Italy, Benedetto has lived most of his life abroad, in countries including Poland, Sweden, and Portugal. He is currently based in London. In his free time, he enjoys sports, music, reading, and cooking.
Benedetto has been passionate about AI since his early days as an engineer, consistently staying at the forefront of both industry and academic developments. He recently upskilled at INSEAD and has been a pioneer in implementing Generative AI at Diageo. Through his speaking engagements, he aims to evangelise and democratise...
Since the early 2000s, Benedetto has held key executive roles in data and analytics. At P&G, he developed the company’s first global system for reporting approved financial results to Wall Street. In his most recent executive role at Diageo, he led the implementation of a cutting-edge analytics platform – codenamed...
Benedetto has built his career as an IT executive across a diverse range of companies, gaining deep insights into various business models, operating structures, and organisational cultures. He is equally comfortable working within global public corporations, joint ventures, and large family-owned businesses. Known for leading fast-paced transformations, he brings people...