Luca Santamaria

Vice President Project and Portfolio Management | Revenue Growth Driver | Technology and AI Transformation Leader | Data Architect | Innovation Strategist

New York City Metropolitan Area

About

As Global Vice President of Project and Portfolio Management, I lead a forward‑thinking organization that delivers an impactful, consumer‑centric, and data‑driven portfolio strategy fueling sustained double‑digit revenue growth. I bring deep experience in technology‑enabled transformation, business optimization, organizational design, data modeling, portfolio leadership, and product innovation—consistently turning strategic vision into measurable results across organizations and geographies. I champion a high‑performing culture built on collaboration, experimentation, and excellence. Through a creative mindset, entrepreneurial approach, data‑led decision making, and agile execution, I drive transformation opportunities, accelerate innovation, implement digital advancements, and simplify organizational structures to enhance business outcomes. Known for clear communication, decisive leadership, and a collaborative style, I build strong stakeholder alignment, foster productive partnerships, and deliver industry‑leading results. As a natural leader and lifelong learner, I continuously seek new opportunities to grow, elevate teams, and drive meaningful, positive change.

Experience

  • Global Head of Project and Portfolio Innovation at Opella
    2025 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos

    As Global Vice President Project and Portfolio Innovation, I lead a forward-thinking organization that is delivering double digit growth through faster execution, sharper prioritization, and a more disciplined portfolio approach. I am at the forefront of building an AI enabled innovation ecosystem—integrating intelligent agents, predictive automation, and a scalable virtual workforce into the daily operations of project and portfolio teams. By embedding AI directly into core processes, I expand organizational capacity, accelerate decision-making, strengthen data foundations, and enable faster, simpler execution that enhances speed, precision, and throughput across the enterprise. Leveraging my extensive business experience, I design and execute transformative innovation frameworks that unlock new business opportunities, maximize portfolio ROI, and enhance operational efficiency. I streamline processes and organizations while building high-performing teams that embrace an entrepreneurial, agile, and data-driven execution mindset. I integrate product and project management capabilities, implement hybrid agile methodologies, strengthen collaboration across the enterprise, and elevate the use of data to accelerate delivery and improve financial outcomes. A core part of my leadership is driving a mindset shift—ensuring teams adopt technology, speed, and goal-driven decision making as standard practice. This alignment of mindset, process, and technology has positioned my organization to deliver sustained, scalable growth. Collaborating closely with the C-suite, I continuously evaluate innovation performance and future portfolio trajectory for private equity reviews, ensuring clear communication of strategic objectives and long-term growth opportunities.

  • Member at Executive Council for Leading Change (ECLC)
    Oct 2024 - Present · 1 yr 9 mos

  • Sanofi (4 yrs 1 mo)
    • Global Head of Project and Portfolio Innovation
      2023 - 2025 · 2 yrs

      As Global Vice President Project and Portfolio Innovation, I established a new organization and built the foundational capabilities that now enable enterprise‑wide innovation and execution excellence. I created a unified project and portfolio management organization, defined global standards, and introduced a disciplined operating model that significantly improved delivery speed, execution quality, and financial performance. I strengthened project execution by elevating the role of the project manager into a true project leader, expanding accountability, decision‑making authority, and ownership of business outcomes. I introduced clearer governance, sharper prioritization, and performance‑driven routines that improved transparency and accelerated results across regions and business units. I led major improvements in process efficiency, streamlining workflows and eliminating non‑value‑added activities to create a more agile and predictable execution environment. I also advanced the organization’s digital maturity by introducing modern tools, data visibility, and early AI‑enabled capabilities that improved forecasting, resource allocation, and risk management. My leadership focused on building a high‑performing global team, strengthening collaboration, and promoting a culture of accountability, speed, and continuous improvement. These foundations positioned the company for the broader digital and AI‑driven transformation I now lead at the enterprise level.

    • North America Head of Project and Portfolio Innovation
      2021 - 2023 · 2 yrs

      As North America Vice President of Project and Portfolio Management, I built and led a new organization that elevated accountability, entrepreneurship, and leadership across the innovation landscape. I strengthened project and portfolio performance by introducing a more disciplined operating model that improved execution quality, financial outcomes, and business agility. I shaped the strategy and delivery of a multi year innovation agenda for North America, sharpening focus, streamlining operations, and ensuring resources were directed toward the highest value opportunities. I modernized the innovation approach by applying agile principles, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset, leveraging digital capabilities, and deepening cross functional collaboration to create a faster, more adaptive execution environment. I cultivated a data driven, goal oriented culture that improved the planning and execution of transformation workstreams. I introduced a comprehensive portfolio review process grounded in scenario thinking and analytics, enabling clearer prioritization, stronger decision making, and more effective resource allocation. I advanced the maturity of project and portfolio systems by eliminating redundant work, simplifying information flows, and improving the accessibility and quality of data used for decision making. I also built a high performing team culture by creating an engaging environment, recognizing excellence, setting ambitious goals, and establishing continuous feedback loops.

  • Johnson & Johnson (18 yrs 1 mo)
    • Senior Director of Digital Strategy and Execution
      2019 - 2020 · 1 yr

      As Senior Director of Digital Strategy and Execution, I built a technology incubator that accelerated innovation, strengthened entrepreneurial thinking, and enabled high‑value external partnerships—advancing digital innovation across consumer healthcare. I led a comprehensive assessment of the technology portfolio, streamlining its scope and aligning investments with financial, operational, and innovation priorities. Through strategic vision and decisive leadership, I secured senior‑level sponsorship for transformative organizational changes that improved portfolio ROI, accelerated delivery, and established a scalable digital operating model. I introduced new systems, capabilities, and ways of working that elevated digital maturity and positioned the organization to compete more effectively in a rapidly evolving technology landscape. My leadership in shaping digital strategy, modernizing execution, and fostering a culture of experimentation has been instrumental in driving enterprise‑level digital transformation and strengthening long‑term competitive advantage.

    • Global Program Head of Transformation
      2016 - 2019 · 3 yrs

      As Global Program Head, I spearheaded Baby brand transformation, taking it from concept to global execution and ensuring strategic alignment with senior leaders, including the Consumer Company Group Chairman. I provided strategic counsel on program priorities, risk management, and budget optimization, enabling critical decisions and ensuring successful delivery. Drawing on my project management expertise and leadership skills, I successfully led a comprehensive overhaul of the brand, from the redesign of formulations, packaging, and production workflows to in-market execution. By fostering cross-functional collaboration and championing agile decision-making, I ensured the program was delivered ahead of schedule and under budget, significantly strengthening the company’s financial performance and competitive position.

    • Director of Project and Portfolio Management
      2015 - 2016 · 1 yr

      As Director of Project and Portfolio Management, I led the organization responsible for delivering a global innovation portfolio. I strengthened execution discipline, enhanced cross‑functional alignment, and drove continuous improvements in processes and ways of working. By fostering a culture of trust, collaboration, creativity, and excellence, I elevated team performance and enabled faster, more predictable delivery across markets.

  • Business Analyst at Progressive Insurance
    2001 - 2001 · Less than a year

    As Business Analyst, I supported the evaluation of new business models and software solutions to optimize the insurance claims process.