Meet Domingo -- Director, IT Innovation
Can you share with us your career journey and how you reached your current position as a Director of IT Innovation?
I studied economy in school and knew early on I wanted to focus on enterprise and media. Most of my career has been focused on innovation, developing, and launching emerging digital solutions and new businesses. In 2001, I started my career in Spain working at Planeta where I launched several educational programs. Afterwards, I joined a publishing company where I worked for a book club division of media conglomerates. I was tasked with finding new businesses to partner with our members to create things such as a wine club and other member-exclusive groups. It was with this company that I also launched my first mobile content club in 2004.
Between 2006 and 2010, I experienced a life-changing period as I moved to New York, met my wife, and ventured into mobile marketing during the rise of smartphones and emerging technologies. It was an exciting time to be in the industry, with innovative phone products and advancements reshaping the way we connect and engage with the world.
Sometime later, I moved back to Spain to be with family and a Conversational Artificial Product Manager opportunity with the Nestlé Barcelona Hub opened. When I first joined Nestlé, I joined because of what the challenge and mission of the new team they were forming was. I gained a lot of confidence and knowledge in that role, and that’s what made me stay. Nestlé is a business that is tech-powered, and the opportunities are limitless when it comes to emerging technologies and using those to speed up business growth and solve challenges. There are many opportunities across the world.
You're talking to a stranger on the street—how would you best describe your day-to-day job?
Think about the products that we buy from Nestlé, like Nesquik or Purina pet products. To put the product on the shelf and to delight the consumer, imagine the full 360 of a product—buying in store, buying online, loyalty, supply chain, manufacturing, and more. A role in Nestlé IT innovation looks at how to optimize processes and create new solutions like Generative AI applications to support the ideation of new products or creating content at scale. Everything we do is to support the end result and improve the customer experience. We’re a food company powered by tech.
What motivated you to pursue a career in IT innovation?
The ability to collaborate and connect motivated me. Your career is going to be as big as your ability to connect with people; the ability to raise your hand, to find someone to inspire you, and to ask someone for mentorship and time. Here at Nestlé IT, there are individuals open to mentoring people. I can say that, after working with six international media companies, Nestlé is so good at the human impact piece.
I recently traveled to our Nestlé IT Mexico City Hub and had the opportunity to participate in a roundtable discussion. We all shared what our experience with the company has been like so far, and there were a lot of positive things which people shared, but one thing that someone said stuck out to me. They said, ‘Nestlé is very human’. It’s true, there’s empathy within our organization and people truly care for one another.
How do you stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in IT innovation?
I stay up to date on technology and innovation news through several avenues. I’ve curated my LinkedIn network to establish connections with subject matter experts in AI, I follow several tech companies, and I also check Medium, an online publishing platform. At the end of the day, you need to know what the cool kids are doing in innovation. So, if I can find where the cool kids are playing, I feel like I’ll have a good understanding of the lasting trends and products.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your role as a Director of IT Innovation, and how have you overcome them?
I think the biggest challenge I have faced in this role relates to mindset. Our initiatives are on a global scale, and we look to test quickly when it comes to innovation. Our approach is to move fast and sometimes we need to focus on progression rather than perfection. Possessing an adaptive mindset is valuable when working in IT. I think having the skill to shift directions and be comfortable with failure is crucial because a big portion of the work we do fails. We fail-forward, meaning we learn from the failure and improve. It’s all about trusting the process.
What do you enjoy most about the work culture and office location?
People in innovation have this drive to generate and share new ideas; they really like to solve challenges. I like being in an environment surrounded by driven and passionate people because it creates this great energy. At the same time, we know things can go wrong, but that’s accepted. Our space is for playing and having fun during the innovation process, and I really enjoy that aspect, as well.
Can you describe Nestlé IT in four words?
Deliver value by collaboration.
IT is unique because it’s transversal. For Nestlé IT, it’s important that we collaborate with other parts of the business while remaining focused on delivering value. Information Technology will always be a part of a bigger process.
What is your favorite piece of technology?
My coffee machine, I cannot live without my coffee machine.
What’s a technology you hope will exist in the future?
Quantum computing. I’m looking forward to when the concepts are more tangible and more of a reality. We have questions right now that we cannot answer with topics like finding new packaging materials that are more sustainable, creating new recipes, or accurately predict risk. Like internet, mobile, and artificial intelligence, quantum computing will be another technology wave that will disrupt our industry.
Interested in a career in innovation with Nestlé IT?
Check out our available opportunities or join our talent network to be alerted to any relevant jobs that match your skillset.
