Available for Freelance Mandates

Benedetta
Obert

Program & Operations Lead · 
Global Events, Brand Activations & Operations Consultant

Complex projects. Multiple stakeholders. Zero room for failure.

I help brands, agencies, and international organizations deliver large-scale events, market launches, operational programs, and transformation initiatives. From strategic planning to on-site execution.

Let's Work Together
7+
Years leading and delivering complex international programs
5
Industries mastered: Events & Sponsorship· Luxury · Publishing & Media · FMCG · Payments
2026
Recent project, lasting impact
Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina — Visa’s Global Sponsorship Team
What I Do
Areas of Expertise
🎯
Event & Sponsorship Operations
End-to-end program management of large-scale international events (sport and high-profile business), brand experiences and sponsorship programs. From strategic planning and venue readiness to live operations and post-event execution.
🏪
Brand Activations & Retail Expansion
Strategy and execution for new market launches, retail openings, in-store activations, local partnesrhips, B2B events, OOH, and integrated campigns.
🌍
Multi-Stakeholder Coordination
The bridge between clients, agencies, creative teams, suppliers, local partners, and global HQs — clear briefs, no silos, zero dropped balls.
⚙️
Operations & Supply Chain
Deep expertise in supply chain, demand forecasting, inventory management, logiscs and distribution — built within multinational environments including FMCG industry in roles at Lavazza and Nestlé across European markets.
💻
Business Transformation
Support organizations in turning fragmented systems and workflows into integrated, scalable operating models. Lead cross-functional digital transformation programs across CRM, ERP, BI, marketing automation, editorial, and e-commerce ecosystems bridging business and technology.
📋
Agile Program Delivery
Certified Scrum Master & Product Owner. Structured delivery in ambiguous, fast-moving environments — on scope, on time, on budget.
Selected Work
Key Projects
🏅 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games · 2025-26
Visa Sponsorships & Payment Operations — Milano Cortina 2026
Senior Operations Project Manager within Visa’s Global Sponsorship Team, delivering payment infrastructure and operational readiness across Olympic and Paralympic venues. Orchestrated multi-stakeholder execution from planning to Games-time operations and decommissioning, enabling seamless payment experiences, effective brand activation, and frictionless fan journeys in one of the world’s most complex live-event environments.
Event Operations Payments Infrastructure Retail Management Stakeholder Coordination Multi-venue Logistics Live Operations

Scale
Multiple spread venues across Northern Italy
Stakeholders
Visa Global, IOC, OCOG, local acquiring banks, retail partners, logistics suppliers and marketing agencies
Scope
Payment acceptance · Retail operations · Venue readiness · Brand presence · Fan experience · Operational delivery
Environment
Fixed deadline · Live venue operations & events · Zero-downtime requirement
🌟 Brand Experience, Activation & Market Expansion Strategy · 2025–Present
International Premium Brand Activations & Market Expansion — EU / UAE
Collaborating as freelance Senior Project Manager with international media and event partners to support premium brands in expansion and activation projects across new markets. Store openings, in-store activations, B2B launch events, PR and influencer strategy, OOH and media activities, local partnerships with hospitality and lifestyle brands including hotels, gyms, and cafés. Single point of contact between clients, production and media agencies, creative teams and local stakeholders — coordinating all project phases from strategic planning to execution.
Retail Expansion Brand Launch B2B Events Integrated Campaign Coordination Market Entry
📱 Operations & Digital Transformation · 2022–2025
Hearst Italia — Full Digital and Operational Redesign
Led cross-functional digital and organizational transformation initiatives, redesigning processes and coordinating technology implementation across marketing, editorial, sales, finance, and events teams: Salesforce CRM & Marketing Cloud, Zucchetti ERP, WoodWing editorial platform, Magento e-commerce, and integrated operational workflows. Also coordinated logistics for fashion productions and supported the launch of the French subsidiary. Coordinated 15+ vendors, agencies, and technology partners over a multi-year transformation roadmap.
Smart Operations CRM & Marketing Automation E-commerce Change Management Vendor Management
Experience
Professional Background
2025 – Present
Freelance Head of Project Management
International Brand Activations, Events & Market Expansion · Freelance
  • Supporting agencies and premium brands in the planning and execution of events, retail activations, store openings, and market-entry initiatives
  • Brand Activations, Retail Expansion, B2B & Consumer Events, Partnership Development
  • Multi-stakeholder coordination across clients, agencies, production teams, and local partners
  • From strategy and client briefing to on-the-ground execution
2025 – Apr 2026
Senior Acceptance Project Manager — Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games
Visa · Global Sponsorship Team · Freelance
  • End-to-end payment acceptance operations across all Milano Cortina 2026 venues
  • Payment Operations (POS/ATM deployment), Retail & Merchant Ecosystem, Fan Experience
  • Multi-stakeholder coordination
  • Games-time escalation point for real-time operational decisions
2022 – 2025
Head of Project Management & Digital Transformation
Hearst Italia (Hearst Corporation) · Full-time
  • Salesforce CRM, Marketing Cloud, Magento membership & e-commerce, centralised BI platform built from scratch — full lifecycle PM
  • Operations: French subsidiary launch including location scouting, Luxury fashion shoot and production logistics
  • 15+ agencies and vendors coordinated
  • Change management across marketing, editorial, events, sales, and finance
2021 – 2022
Project Manager — Operations & Supply Chain
Nestlé · Confectionery Business
  • Demand forecasting accuracy improvements and inventory optimisation across European markets
  • Cross-functional projects coordinating supply, planning, and sales teams
  • Standardised processes across international markets
2020 – 2021
Distribution & Supply Planner — Logistics & Supply Chain
Lavazza Group · France & Italy
  • End-to-end distribution and logistics across France and Italy
  • Demand forecasting, stock planning and inventory level optimisation, transport efficiency
  • Distribution and logistics system implementation projects
Capabilities
Skills & Tools
Project Delivery
  • Event & Sponsorship Operations
  • Retail & Brand Activation
  • Program & Portfolio Management
  • Agile (Scrum / Kanban)
  • Budget & Cost Management
  • Risk & Issue Management
Operations & Logistics
  • Supply Chain & Logistics
  • Demand Forecasting
  • Inventory Optimisation
  • Vendor & Supplier Management
  • Contract Negotiation
  • Procurement
Digital & Platforms
  • Salesforce CRM & Marketing Cloud
  • Zucchetti ERP
  • Magento / Shopify
  • Woodwing Studio
  • PowerBI / QlikView
  • Adobe Suite
Languages & Credentials
  • Italian — Native
  • English — Proficient
  • Spanish — Intermediate
  • French — Basic (in progress)
  • Scrum Master & Product Owner
  • Executive Programme — Digital Transformation (PoliMi)
Get In Touch
Let's Build Something Exceptional

I partner with agencies, brands, and organisations that need a senior lead who can move between strategy and execution — and make it look seamless. Based in Milan, available for mandates across Europe, the Middle East and globally.

obert.benedetta@gmail.com Email — preferred for project enquiries
+39 334 810 3387 Phone / WhatsApp
Currently open to new mandates
Event & Sponsorship Operations PM
Brand Activation & Market Entry Lead
Senior Project Consultant — Global Programs
Digital Transformation Project Lead
Retail & Operations Program Manager
Send a Brief