Charles
Gordon, Life President of William Grant & Sons, has been
remembered at international memorial services in New York and
Scotland. Charles died in New York on December 21, 2013, aged 86,
surrounded by his family after a short illness.
Along
with his brother Sandy, Charles turned a small, family-run company
into one of the world’s leading producers of Scotch whiskies
including Glenfiddich and Grant’s.
A
large personality to his family, friends and to all those that he met
in the course of his life, Charles’ warmth and charm as well as his
unique perceptiveness and long-term vision led William Grant &
Sons to the international recognition it enjoys today.
His
contribution to the worldwide drinks trade was marked at special
memorial services held in New York on February 18 and his hometown of
Glasgow in Scotland on February 21.
To
further mark the occasion, William Grant & Sons Global Travel
Retail Europe partnered with World Duty Free Group (WDFG) to promote
Charlie’s life and Glenfiddich whisky to travellers at Glasgow
International airport from February 20 to March 4. WDFG executives
including CEO José María Palencia also attended the memorial
service in Glasgow.
Maurice
Doyle, Chief Marketing Officer for William Grant & Sons, said:
“We really appreciate the support and partnership from World Duty
Free Group. We were touched by their suggestion of a temporary
memorial for Charles in Glasgow airport to celebrate his remarkable
life. I am sure that Charles would have been flattered as well. He
was well known as a passionate supporter of the company’s brands in
Global Travel Retail and was keenly interested in the sector as a
whole over many decades. His week in Cannes in October for the Tax
Free World Association Exhibition was always a highlight for Charles.
We thank José María and his team for their support.”
“Throughout
his remarkable life Charles Gordon made a huge contribution to the
Scotch whisky industry as a whole, as well as being a passionate
advocate of his company’s brands,” commented José María
Palencia, adding “it was an honour and privilege to have known
Charles, and to pay tribute to this visionary industry leader in this
way.”
About
William Grant & Sons and Glenfiddich
William
Grant & Sons, Ltd. is an independent family-owned distiller
headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in
1886. Today, the luxury spirits company is run by the fifth
generation of his family and distils some of the world’s leading
brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s favourite single
malt Glenfiddich®, The Balvenie® range of handcrafted single malts
and the world’s third largest blended Scotch Grant’s® as well as
other iconic spirits brands such as Hendrick’s® Gin, Sailor
Jerry®, Milagro® Tequila and, most recently, Tullamore Dew Irish
Whiskey.
About World Duty Free Group
World
Duty Free S.p.A., is the holding company of World Duty Free Group,
one of the world’s leading travel retailers, operating mainly in
airports and with a broad geographical reach. It has operations in 21
countries and
more than 130 locations with over 500 stores, from its heartland in
Western Europe, to the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. In 2012,
the company posted a turnover of more than 2,002 million Euros.
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