William Grant & Sons makes trio of senior appointments across resurgent GTR division

World-leading drinks business William Grant & Sons (WG&S) has moved to bolster its senior global travel retail (GTR) management team as it eyes recovery and expansion in the duty-free market.

The three new GTR-focused hires are Karan Tuli (Regional Customer Marketing Manager, APAC and ME), Karim Moukalled (Customer Planning & Activation Manager - Global Travel Retail) and Richard Burns (Head of Commercial Finance – GTR).

Karan Tuli will lead activation plans and strategies in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions and support the wider commercial team with execution of GTR vision and strategy. Based in the WG&S Singapore office, he will report to Lindsay Hitzeroth, Head of Customer Marketing – GTR.

Karan joins with wide GTR experience, most recently as ASEAN Area Manager, Travel Retail with Bacardi and Global Head, Travel Retail and General Manager Asia Pacific at Agatha Asia Pacific.

Of his appointment, he said: “I am very excited about joining the William Grant & Sons family at this pivotal time – we have a big year ahead with many challenges and opportunities to negotiate. 

“As the industry continues to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am confident that we will have the right strategies in place which will help bring joy back into our channel and to delight travelling shoppers.”

Experienced marketer Karim Moukalled joins WG&S after serving as Marketing Activation Manager – Global Travel Retail at JTI (Japan 

                                                                        Karan Tuli

Tobacco International) for the best part of six years. In that role, was responsible for the planning and implementation of activations for major JTI brands across the Middle East and Africa. 

Karim started his career with British American Tobacco as a Trade Marketing Executive in Saudi Arabia after graduating from the Lebanese American University in Beirut. He holds a bachelor degree in business marketing.

He has lived and worked in four different countries over the past six years, and is fluent in English, Arabic and French.

Karim Moukalled

Karim said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the William Grant & Sons GTR team as Customer Planning & Activation manager, focusing on the Southern and Western Europe territories. 

“While my career background is mostly within the tobacco industry, the travel retail channel is no stranger to me so it will be interesting to bring my knowledge and experience to practice in such a great, vibrant and innovative company.”

Completing the trio of appointments is Richard Burns, who will soon move to London to take up his GTR finance role after more than three and a half years working as Senior Commercial Finance Manager for WG&S Australia in its Sydney office. He will report to Iain Short, Finance Director for APAC & GTR.

His most recent employer prior to WG&S was Coca-Cola Amatil, also based in Australia, where his last role was as Finance Business Partner – Retail Sales & Marketing.

                                                                        Richard Burns

Richard said: “This is a great time to take on a role in the GTR division of William Grant & Sons just at the time when the world is really opening up for travel again after the trials of COVID-19. 

“The growth opportunities and potential in the travel retail for our brands is huge, and I look forward to playing a part in helping our team take advantage of them.”

Nestlé builds on China Expo success with CDFG Sunrise livestream for KITKAT and Nestlé SWISS

Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR) has partnered with Chinese duty free retailer Sunrise in partnership with China Duty Free Group (CDFG), to introduce five of its travel retail hero products to its Chinese customers especially for the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday period. 

The Sunrise livestream took place on 13 January and Nestlé’s segment was approximately 15 minutes long, featuring four lifestyle Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) who discussed the “taste sensations” and “convenient snacking” options available from the KITKAT and Nestlé SWISS products available at CDFG-owned Sunrise retail locations in Hainan. 

During the livestream event, the KOLs introduced four of iconic brand KITKAT’s hero products for travel retail:  KITKAT Chunky Mix, KITKAT Chunky Milk, KITKAT Minis 517g, and three flavours of the new KITKAT Senses tablets – Hazelnut Crunch, Caramel Crisp and Cookie Crumble. They also introduced the two Nestlé SWISS 170g tablet flavours: Dark Chocolate Blueberries, Almonds & Hazelnuts and Milk Chocolate Cranberries, Hazelnuts and Almonds.   

The digital event builds on NITR’s successful brand showcase during last year’s China International Consumer Products Expo in Hainan in May. The global travel retail division will be exhibiting at the event, as part of the corporate Nestlé stand, again this year.

The four KOLs held a lively discussion and tasting demonstration moving through each of the products and commenting on the “delicious creamy taste” and “amazing crunchy wafer texture” of the KITKAT Senses. The KITKAT Mini was described as a convenient snack to keep with you, especially to give to children for the Chinese New Year holiday. Meanwhile the KOLs joked that it was an easy decision to finish off the other half of the KITKAT Chunky! 

Lastly, the KOLs moved on to sampling the “delicious” Nestlé SWISS 170g tablets – with either the dark chocolate and blueberry flavour for a deeper chocolatey taste or the milk chocolate and cranberry flavour for a mood-enhancing and nutritious snack. 

Nestlé general manager Stewart Dryburgh] commented that the livestream event was the first time Nestlé has promoted KITKAT and travel retail exclusive Nestlé SWISS in this way and the company views it as a success, with over 23000 viewers for the chocolates category section and a triple digit uplift in sales. 

“We will try to do more of this kind of activity along with our travel retail customers, since it has already become a very common way to sell products in China. It really enhances the premiumisation of chocolate snacks for the gifting market,” comments Dryburgh. 

MARCUS HUDSON APPOINTED AS SALES DIRECTOR FOR MARS ITR

 Mars Wrigley ITR’s Marcus Hudson, currently Global Customer Development Director in ITR, has been appointed to the role of Sales Director ITR as of January 17th. In this role he will lead the continued recovery of Mars Wrigley’s global travel retail business, reporting to Jack Tabbers, General Manager. In his new capacity he will join the NL/ITR leadership team. Marcus is a seasoned professional with deep knowledge of the travel retail industry. His first role (2007) was Trade Marketeer global travel retail for BAT and he has been expending his expertise in global FMCG ever since. He joined the business in 2016 as Customer Effectiveness Manager in ITR and was promoted to his current role in 2019. Mars is confident that with the world of expertise Marcus brings and his vast experience, he will continue to deliver quality growth. 

Marcus’s achievements within ITR are diverse including implementing Mars Wrigley’s current customer-centric structure. Marcus’s proudest achievements include building a very high engagement level within his team during the pandemic, and ongoing Airport customer recovery with better than ever relationships with many of our key partner customers. 

Jack Tabbers says: “Taking this opportunity, I would sincerely like to thank Raghav Rekhi, who’s assignment with NL/ITR will end on January 15th, he will return to his home unit of Dubai.” 

Raghav moved to the Netherlands in 2018 to join ITR first as Marketing Director and later into the role of Sales Director, and he demonstrated leadership in simplifying Mars Wrigley’s portfolio and driving the unit’s growth. Most recently he has overseen ITR’s recovery, which has put it ahead of the category recovery rate. 

Tabbers continues: “Throughout his work, Raghav’s commitment to delivering results, his passion for developing talent, coupled with a strong collaborative approach and ambassadorship of our culture have shone through and he will be much missed by the unit.” 

GLENFIDDICH JOURNEYS TO THE FUTURE WITH FINAL IN TRILOGY OF LIMITED EDITION CHINESE NEW YEAR GIFT PACKS

The World’s Most Awarded Single Malt Scotch Whisky invites drinkers to toast to a future of good fortune with its final special edition CNY gift pack designed by Chinese artist Rlon Wang 

18 January 2022, Singapore: Glenfiddich, the renowned Scotch Whisky owned by William Grant & Sons, announces its third limited-edition packaging for Glenfiddich’s Gran Reserva 21 Year Old Single Malt gift pack created by Shenzhen-based artist Rlon Wang exclusively for travel retail, along with its 12, 15, 18 Year Old Malt Whisky gift packs in domestic outlets. 

Released into the travel retail market in December and in plenty of time for Chinese New Year (31 January to 15 February 2022), Glenfiddich unveils the final edition in the Rlon Wang-designed series trilogy of Chinese New Year gift packs that embraces the occasion in celestial style.

Partnering again with the rising star Chinese illustrator, Glenfiddich CNY limited edition gift packs invite a look to the future and imagine a world where good fortune and auspicious wonders await. 

The 2022 limited edition bottle completes a trilogy of thought-provoking stories told in the design of the limited-edition gift packs. The story began with Charles Gordon (son-in-law of Glenfiddich founder William Grant) and his epic journey to bring the Speyside Scotch whisky to the world. The following year saw the magnificent telling of the ‘Great Homecoming’, where the Glenfiddich Stag honours his triumphant return home with magical and wonderous stories to share. 

Translated as ‘Fu Lu’ in Mandarin, the iconic Stag perfectly encapsulates the sentiments of wealth, prosperity and longevity for this hopeful time of year and the concluding and grand finale is an awe-inspiring imagining of what we ask when we finally reach home after any great adventure – where next? 

A curiousness and future-thinking vision is woven into the DNA and story of Glenfiddich. Always pushing boundaries and challenging conventions, the independent family of visionaries dare to go boldly where no Malt Master had gone before. Over 130 years of experimentation and innovation led to the creation of a liquid that is the world’s most awarded Single Malt Scotch Whisky today. This excitement for new and extraordinary experiences can be tasted in every sip of the exceptional Single Malt included in the gift pack series and dating back to when Glenfiddich first created the malt category in 1963. 

Will Peacock, Global Luxury Director says: “With the conclusion of this series of limited-edition CNY packs, artist Rlon Wang speaks to our time by capturing a feeling of optimism for the future. The talented illustrator, a fellow maverick in his field, takes our characters on one final journey to a horizon of possibility and opportunity.” 

Artist Rlon Wang says of the partnership: “I greatly enjoyed working with Glenfiddich for this final design; I was able to use a technique of multi-layered illustrations to put people’s brightest hopes and dreams on a canvas. I gave the design an otherworldly feel with the use of traditional symbols in futuristic forms. We see old friends - Glenfiddich’s Royal Stag and the traditional dancing Chinese lion - ascending to the stars with a bright galaxy in front of them; auspicious lanterns, lotus flowers and a soaring phoenix guide them into a vibrant world full of galactic proportions. Zero-gravity allows them to reach new heights, representing a boundless future that awaits.” 

The final Chinese New Year design by Rlong Wang is available with the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 Year Old, and is an eye-catching addition to the premium gifting market within travel retail. Inside the vibrant gift pack lies an exquisite golden liquid that champions the finest flavours of Scotland. Daring innovation coupled with expert knowledge passed down through generations makes Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky a masterpiece to be shared and remembered. Gran Reserva, a collision of Scotland and the Caribbean, is a whisky that embodies Glenfiddich’s maverick spirit – celebrating the vibrancy of the Caribbean with its rum cask finish. 

The Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 Year Old Malt Whisky limited edition pack is now available in luxury whisky travel retail outlets in selected airports in Asia-Pacific (China, Taiwan, South-East Asia, Australia), EMEA and the US. 

The Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 Year Old CNY travellers’ exclusive pack with 43.2% ABV and the domestic Glenfiddich Reserva Rum Cask CNY packs contain liquid at 40% ABV. 

Porsche Design presents the Ultimate Supreme Capsule Collection to global travel retail

Purist design in highest perfection

Stuttgart/Munich. 

With the brand new and strictly limited Ultimate Supreme Series, Porsche Design Eyewear presents a Capsule Collection that pays homage to four internationally successful shapes by Porsche Design. Two sunglasses are included within the series, both now available to glob-al travel retail.

Purism in a perfect fit - the P'8926 & P'8927 sunglasses.

The two sunglasses models interpret the Squared Aviator Shape in a slightly flatter and wider form. The filigree design is given a very modern oversize look thanks to the minimal-istic stainless-steel frame and almost straight base-2-lenses, making the two sunglasses real statement pieces. Particularly light temples made of high-performance material RXP® emphasise the modern and exclusive character and offer unique wearing comfort thanks to extremely precise and functional workmanship. 

In designing the Ultimate Supreme Series, Porsche Design successfully continues the vision 

of Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, following his clear design philosophy to opti-mise function, uncompromisingly reduce form down to the essentials, and continually dis-cover new and exceptional solutions. In this way, the lifestyle brand succeeds time and again in uniting purist design with functionality, perfection, and precision.