Dael Cassam Chenai

MSc in Management,  2006

Wine Head, Pernod Ricard India Market company

Dael Cassam Chenai is an emlyon business school MCs in Management 2008 graduate. He is Wine Head at Pernod Ricard India Market company (Dehli, India)

“Wine teaches us patience. Especially here where I'm basically starting with a blank canvas.”

Wherever you're coming from moving to India means a big change of scenery. I felt that shift deeply in 2017 when I left Australia and its 25million people for the frenetic pace of Mumbai and Delhi.

Despite my own India heritage, it took my family a little while to get acclimatized! India is a country of contrasts. It is complex, ultra-connected, and astoundingly vital. It's the 2nd biggest market in the world for the Pernod-Ricard group, but the category I'm in charge of, wines, counts for less than 1%. Although there is immense potential, my first challenge is just to make ourselves known, both to our clients, and to the group's own salespeople. Wine teaches us patience. Especially here where I’m basically starting with a blank canvas.

I feel very entrepreneurial. My time as a consultant in Paris, with a perfectly smooth workflow, seems very far away. Here, I'm learning every day. I made discoveries, promote our range of wine, cognacs, and champagnes with my young team, and survey future vineyards. I'm in a hurry to patiently build the future!