Anthony Quinn 

Pernod Ricard

 

 

 


 

When the Kaikoura earthquake struck in November 2016, a business continuity plan was vital for New Zealand wine company Pernod Ricard. With up to 40 million litres of wine to be stored at the Marlborough winery and the next vintage due in just over ten weeks, the situation created operational challenges. “We had some tanks that sustained significant damage,” says North Island Operations Manager Anthony Quinn. Ongoing aftershocks created a level of uncertainty for the team. Safety was Pernod Ricard’s top priority, closely followed by quick decision-making and company-wide communication. The leadership team shared their challenges with all employees, and called on production staff in Auckland and Hawkes Bay to keep the business moving. “We learnt a lot about our people, our business and how we interact as a team. Staff throughout the country stepped up to a level we’d never seen before and we achieved some remarkable results.” Pernod Ricard works with Competenz to deliver training in food and beverage processing, health and safety, mechanical engineering, sales and management. “Having staff continually learning and developing their skills helps to keep them motivated and delivers confidence. Our people have developed a range of competencies that helped us manage a challenging and complex issue like the earthquake. “Competenz has delivered significant value to more than 250 staff from our operations teams over the last ten years and the partnership continues to grow.”