Elena Mazzucato, Hyphen Group

Curated by VSM Alumni, April 2026

How did you end up working at the intersection of technology and customer experience in the luxury sector?
I got there through a path that, looking back, has always combined two dimensions: the world of brand and customer relationships, and the world of innovation in the processes and tools that make those experiences possible. I started in contexts strongly focused on product, branding, and international commercial dynamics, such as Safilo and Diesel. There, I was able to see firsthand how brand perception depends on consistency across markets, touchpoints, and the overall quality of the experience.
Later, working in companies such as THRON, Arsenalia, and now Hyphen Group, I moved closer to topics like content governance, omnichannel strategies, customer experience, and digital transformation. Over time, I realized that—especially in luxury—technology and customer experience are not separate worlds at all. The quality of the experience increasingly depends on how a brand organizes content, data, processes, and relationships. Today at Hyphen, my role focuses exactly on this: helping luxury brands build more coherent, faster, and integrated models for content production and distribution, with a direct impact on brand perception and the quality of the experience across all touchpoints.

Looking back at your management studies at Ca’ Foscari, what skills or approaches do you still bring into your work today?
More than a specific skill, Ca’ Foscari gave me a mindset: the ability to read complexity in a systemic way, connecting strategy, business, organization, people, and markets. I still carry this with me every day, because my work requires me to balance very different needs: commercial objectives, brand vision, operational processes, technology, and alignment among diverse stakeholders. My management education helped me develop this transversal perspective, which I consider essential today. I also bring with me a strong international outlook, developed during my studies through experiences such as Erasmus in Madrid, an internship in Prague, and an exchange program in the United States.
Being exposed early on to different contexts taught me flexibility, curiosity, and adaptability—qualities that are fundamental when working with global brands and markets with diverse expectations and sensitivities.

Luxury is often associated with craftsmanship. How is technology transforming the customer experience instead?
I believe it’s important to move beyond the outdated idea that technology and craftsmanship are in opposition within luxury. On the contrary, technology can enhance the quality, care, and distinctiveness that define luxury experiences. Today, customers interact with brands in many different ways: through e-commerce, social media, editorial content, showrooms, retail, marketing materials, and B2B touchpoints.
This means that perceived quality no longer depends only on the product itself, but also on the brand’s ability to present itself in a coherent, relevant, and flawless way across all these moments. To achieve this, brands need systems that enable centralized and omnichannel communication management. AI is also opening up interesting opportunities, especially in content creation, adaptation, and localization. However, in luxury, the goal is not to use technology for superficial “wow effects.” It is about using it to increase consistency, speed, and personalization, without losing editorial control or quality. Innovation only makes sense if it strengthens the brand, not if it dilutes it.

In your work, you often balance digital tools and human relationships. How are connections between brands and people evolving in the luxury sector?
They are becoming more complex—but also more interesting. Today, people expect a seamless, continuous, and coherent experience across physical and digital channels. They approach brands already well-informed, move across multiple touchpoints before making decisions, and expect each interaction to make sense within a broader journey. That’s why I don’t see digital as an alternative to human relationships, but as something that can enhance them. When content is well organized, information is consistent, and processes work smoothly, human interaction becomes even more valuable—because it can focus on listening, advising, personalizing, and building trust.
In my experience, this integration is very concrete: technology works best when it doesn’t replace human connection, but makes it more relevant, more fluid, and more scalable. In luxury, this balance is essential, because the human element remains central, but must operate within an increasingly complex and omnichannel ecosystem.

Beyond being a VSM Alumna, you are also an Ambassador for SheTech. How important is it today to build “real” relationships in an increasingly digital world?
For me, this is a key topic. Precisely because we live in an increasingly digital context, I believe that building real relationships has even more value today. As a SheTech Ambassador, a big part of what I do is creating real opportunities for people to meet—not only online, but also in person. In Padua, my hometown, I am actively involved in organizing events and networking moments that help build a true community based on exchange, inspiration, and mutual support. Digital is an incredibly powerful tool for connection, but the most meaningful relationships are often built when people meet in person, listen to each other, and build trust over time. Mentoring and community building constantly remind me that growth is not just about accumulating skills or opportunities—it is also about finding environments where you feel challenged, supported, and able to evolve.In a world that keeps accelerating, the quality of relationships remains a true  differentiator, both on a human and professional level.

What advice would you give to young professionals who want to enter the world of luxury and innovation? Where should they start?
I would say: start with genuine curiosity. Luxury and innovation are very attractive fields, but they are often told only through their most visible side. It’s important to go beyond the surface—understand processes, observe how companies really work, and study how credible and coherent brand experiences are built.
Another key point is not to think in silos. The most interesting profiles today are those who can act as bridges between different worlds: business and marketing, brand and data, relationships and technology, strategic vision and execution. My own path reflects this: I started in roles more focused on brand, sales, and international markets, and then brought that perspective into roles increasingly centered on customer experience, omnichannel strategies, and digital transformation.
And there is one more thing I care deeply about: especially at the beginning of your career, being physically present in the workplace is essential. You need to be there, observe, absorb, ask questions, and learn not only from formal tasks, but from everything happening around you—team dynamics, decision-making processes, priorities, and everyday leadership. A huge part of professional growth happens this way: by being present, engaging with people, and learning on the ground with humility. Later on, flexibility and hybrid work become valuable resources for work-life balance. But at the beginning, for those who want to build strong foundations, presence still makes a real difference.
And one final thought: don’t chase what is simply new—focus on what creates real value. The most meaningful innovation is not the loudest, but the one that improves processes, experiences, and results over time.
 

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