Ferran Sanchez

IT Director / Head of IT, currently reporting to the CEO of a fast-growing consumer brand selling across 90+ countries. I lead a team of ten, support around 500 users and manage up to €2M in annual technology investment, covering business applications, data, IT service delivery, infrastructure and cybersecurity through internal teams, matrix and partner organisations. Built the IT governance model from scratch and scaled technology through 50 store openings in three years, a new UK warehouse and international eCommerce, with AI in production since 2022.

Head of IT | Digital & AI Transformation at PDPAOLA Jewelry (2022-01 – Present)

Reporting to the CEO in a fast-growing consumer brand: 58 own stores and franchises, cross-border eCommerce, marketplaces and wholesale.

• Set up the IT governance model from scratch: demand from every area becomes one roadmap, presented to the executive committee to prioritise and fund.
• Delivered the technology behind the expansion: eCommerce and the main marketplaces reaching 90+ countries across Europe, Asia and the US, 50 store openings in three years and the systems for a new UK warehouse.
• Deployed inventory management that cut stockouts 88%, lifted rotation 31% and reduced inventory cost 19%, returning ten times the investment, published as a client case study.
• Evolved the ERP as the international footprint grew, extending it into inventory valuation, purchase control, local tax and regulatory compliance per market, and treasury integrations that cut task time by 30%.
• Consolidated customer, product, transactional and stock data from every system and channel into a single source of truth, enabling data-driven decision-making and endless aisle across stores, warehouse and online.
• Defined the IT operations and support model: SLAs, service KPIs and business continuity across stores, warehouse and eCommerce, with infrastructure, communications and cybersecurity run through internal specialists and managed service partners.
• Selected and implemented the CRM for commercial and wholesale, and drove its adoption.
• Took conversational AI into customer service, live since 2022, and drove AI agents, generative AI and automation across the business.
• Owned technology cost optimisation and strategic sourcing, renegotiating licence, SaaS and managed service models as consumption changed, with vendor selection through RFP, RFQ and proof of concept.

IT Business Partner | Digital Transformation Omnichannel at Desigual (2017-05 – 2022-01)

Within Business Technology, reporting to the CIO in an IT organisation of around 100, senior technology partner for Digital and Retail in a complex omnichannel matrix environment, owning the technology scope for eCommerce and marketplaces, representing ~30% of total revenue, and supporting retail and omnichannel transformation across 80+ markets through specialist teams, partners and business owners.

• Scaled digital commerce across 80+ markets, coordinating Technology, Operations, Finance, Marketing and eCommerce while ensuring alignment with the SAP ERP backbone and enterprise integrations.
• Orchestrated the transition from Oracle ATG to Salesforce Commerce Cloud as a core digital transformation initiative, enabling international scale, omnichannel execution and a more resilient platform model.
• Governed partner evaluation, selection and vendor management, ensuring compliance through alignment with Security, Legal, Tax and the DPO.
• Built the data foundations for omnichannel capabilities by integrating customer and transactional data across channels, enabling personalisation and improved conversion.
• Led the implementation and evolution of loyalty, referral and CRM programmes to strengthen customer acquisition, retention and lifecycle value.

Business Technology Manager at Voxel Group (2013-02 – 2017-05)

Structured demand and translated customer and business needs into a prioritised roadmap for a B2B e-invoicing and payments platform serving hotels and their suppliers in Travel and HoReCa.

• Converted fragmented customer inputs into clear, prioritised requirements and solution proposals, increasing product relevance and commercial effectiveness.
• Planned and sequenced the roadmap across Product and Engineering with feasibility alignment, improving time-to-market and cutting delivery times by 25%.

Tech Lead | Digital Delivery & eCommerce Roadmap at Clubs DiR (2011-12 – 2013-02)

• Co-defined the digital roadmap with Digital leadership and ran end-to-end delivery across internal teams and external agencies, launching a custom eCommerce platform and redesigning the online join journey, lifting online sales 50% and conversion from 1% to 3%.

Tech Lead & Solution Architect | Delivery Leadership & Pre-sales at Altia (2007-02 – 2011-12)

Technology consulting role combining solution architecture, delivery leadership and end-to-end project ownership across multiple clients and industries.

• Shaped solution architecture to reduce delivery risk, and produced client-facing proposals with cost and effort estimates, defending them directly with customers.
• Flagship assignment, Vueling Airlines: owned the technical scope of the booking and purchase flow in a high-volume consumer channel, web and mobile, as the main technology counterpart to the Digital business team, working to conversion and availability criteria.

Tech Lead.NET at Grupo Planeta (via Alten) (2006 – 2007)

Hands-on development and technical coordination of a small team, main interface with client stakeholders.

Developer.NET at Generalitat de Catalunya (via FSI) (2003 – 2006)

Web application development on client site across public sector departments.

Systems Administrator at SACI (1998 – 2002)

Server, network and infrastructure projects and maintenance for industrial clients.

Executive MBA in eCommerce and Big Data – EAE Business School (2020 – 2021)

ICT Business Management and Project Management – Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (2009 – 2010)

Ingeniería Técnica en Informática de Gestión in Computer Engineering – Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya