Being Chief Design Officer of a multinational company like Pepsi means much more than dealing with the aesthetics of a product: Mauro Porcini, who after thirteen successful years is now ready to transfer his innovative vision to Samsung, knows this well. Porcini, speaking at the microphones of ilNewyorkese on Claudio Brachino’s “Portraits” podcast, explained that in his role “design goes far beyond aesthetics, involving innovation and future strategies.”
It was a mission that began in 2010, when Mauro Porcini was called upon by Indra Nooyi, CEO of Pepsi, to create a design department from scratch in a professional field that was completely new to him at the time: “I didn’t know the food industry at all, coming from technology, first Philips then 3M.”
Porcini explained that, starting from scratch, he has helped transform Pepsi into a reality where design plays a central role in the company’s strategy: “We design the company’s brands, the company has so many brands, from Pepsi to Gatorade to Lay’s and many others, and we design experiences with these brands in platforms of all kinds, music, sports, etc…” An enormous amount of work, also carried out by embracing projects ranging from sports and fashion collaborations, such as those with Dsquared and Nike, to wearable technologies to monitor health and athletic performance: “My advice to those considering such a step is to try: even if it doesn’t go as imagined, the experience is always worth it. It went well for me, and here I am today,” Porcini said, emphasizing how important it is to take on new challenges, even when they seem like leaps and bounds.
One of the core principles of his approach is putting people at the center, a concept he calls “a love approach, creating real value that then becomes economic.” For Porcini, curiosity about others, listening and respecting different cultures are key aspects. “These values are part of our Italian culture, which is admired around the world for design, architecture, literature, and food,” the designer explained, adding that this very Italian-ness is an international competitive advantage.
There was room in the podcast for a comparison between Italy and the United States: “American culture has a great capacity for strategy, delegation and teamwork, which is very much lacking in Italy.” However, Italy retains the important art of making do, “what they elegantly call problem solving in America.” Combining these two approaches, according to Porcini, has been critical to the success achieved so far.
Of course, in America, competition is fierce, and “to succeed you need courage, resilience, curiosity, optimism and kindness. In my book, The Age of Excellence, I describe 24 characteristics that distinguish those who achieve their dreams. Not all of them are innate; they can be developed with commitment and determination.”
Now, after consolidating his career in the United States, Porcini is preparing for another significant adventure, this time at Samsung, returning to the technology sector. “It will be another leap of faith, but I will bring with me what I learned in Italy and America, trying to create value with a humanistic approach,” Porcini anticipates. With the evolution of robotics and artificial intelligence, the Italian designer is convinced that “humanistic technology” is the key to addressing the profound changes in contemporary society.
The article Mauro Porcini, from Pepsi design to Samsung challenge comes from TheNewyorker.
