As director of compensation and benefits for North America at Pernod Ricard, Diana Estrada is helping the global spirits company navigate one of the toughest HR equations today: how to deliver competitive, high-value benefits while managing rising costs and rapidly changing employee expectations. It’s a question that could beg for an accompanying drink.
Over the past year, Estrada’s focus has been on benefits, reflecting both macroeconomic pressure and a renewed focus on helping prevent burnout in an industry that is facing particularly tough headwinds at present. Open enrollment season only highlighted the challenge. Medical and pharmacy costs are climbing, yet employees are more dependent than ever on their benefits for physical, mental, and financial security.
Estrada’s approach begins with a deep dive into networks, pharmacy benefit management, utilization patterns, and demographic trends to understand exactly where costs are coming from and which populations are most affected. Her team recently reshaped its pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) relationship, redesigning the structure to better manage prescription drug spend and rebate flows while preserving the member experience.
“From the employee perspective, the experience is the same,” she says. “But from our perspective, we’re finding ways to reduce our costs without adding any financial pressure for our employees.”
Mental health became a defining priority for Estrada’s organization during COVID-19, when employee surveys and town hall feedback made clear that stress and emotional strain were mounting faster than traditional medical networks could respond. Provider access was constrained, appointments were scarce, and employees needed support that was proactive, not just crisis-based.
In response, Estrada helped introduce a partnership with BetterUp to provide coaching aimed at those moments where employees weren’t thriving but still functioning day-to-day. The goal was preventative, catching overload before it became absenteeism, disability, or acute mental health crises that would need to be handled through the medical plan.
This partnership was part of a broader effort to reduce pressure on employees and on the healthcare system itself. Recognizing that access to providers alone would not address the root causes of stress, Estrada worked to relieve pressure at the source by expanding leave options, modernizing its Employee Assistance Program, and launching an employee relief fund to address acute financial stress. These changes were designed to give employees breathing room and practical support, recognizing that not every challenge required a clinical solution, but many required flexibility, time, and stability.
“But none of these services are beneficial if they’re not utilized,” Estrada interjects.
That’s when education and communication, in as many different forums as possible, is indispensable. It’s an especially important time as employees at large seem to be focusing more carefully on financial wellbeing. Estrada has noticed the refocus, as questions about retirement, student loans, and long-term financial security from employees seem to echo a broader economic anxiety at present.
Estrada’s team customizes communication channels for different populations. For corporate staff, the toolkit includes newsletters, microsites, an internal portal, live and recorded webinars, and other resources they can access when they have time or a life event forces them to pay closer attention.
“I suppose it makes sense that I’m in benefits. That kind of work really makes me feel whole, whether I’m at work or not.”
Diana Estrada
For operations employees in warehouses and other frontline jobs (i.e., employees who are not at a keyboard all day), the approach is different. Short in-person sessions, one-on-one support, posters, flyers, and direct engagement through local HR business partners are the preferred modes of interaction.
“Technology is great, but in some instances, that in-person impact is just the right way to go,” Estrada says. “In some cases, a five-minute face-to-face conversation does more to answer questions and build confidence than a long email.”
The director stepped into a senior role at Pernod Ricard right around COVID, a stress test unlike any other in history. Estrada helped her organization navigate unprecedented health concerns, remote work, and volatile external conditions that seemed to be changing daily. And none of those had anything to do with the challenge of being in the spirits space.
Attracting and retaining talent in the beverage industry remains deeply challenging as macroeconomic complexities continue to reshape the landscape. Consumer behaviors around spirits are clearly evolving, with changing preferences and new ways of engaging with the category becoming more visible across social and digital platforms. It may be just a downtrend or it might be a new normal, but as the industry itself evolves to meet new consumer demands, Estrada just wants to ensure that her people have the support they need to do their best work.
Estrada’s path to benefits started firmly in the compensation lane. It was where she felt most comfortable, but as she began to grow her own practice, she found something new about herself.
“I didn’t know I loved benefits because, well, I didn’t know it,” Estrada says, laughing. “But it was a turning point for me. It’s the most direct way I can see to make a tangible impact on people’s lives, whether that’s supporting them through illness or stress or major life transitions.”
It may not be surprising, then, that service is in Estrada’s genes. Raised all over Queens, Estrada grew up with community work as a normal part of life, thanks to the example set by her mother. As an adult, she’s found herself drawn back to that calling, especially after having children of her own.
The director volunteers at a food pantry once a week at present, and she’s regularly on the lookout for more opportunities to serve her friends, neighbors, and community.
“I suppose it makes sense that I’m in benefits,” Estrada admits. “That kind of work really makes me feel whole, whether I’m at work or not.”
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