Alexandre Ricard: A passionate believer in the value of the travel retail channel, pre- and post-pandemic
INTERNATIONAL. Pernod Ricard Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Alexandre Ricard and Shiseido Chairman, President, CEO and Executive Officer Masahiko Uotani have joined a power-packed Knowledge Hub programme at the forthcoming Virtual Travel Retail Expo (11-15 October).
Both men rank among the most influential leaders in their respective business sectors of drinks and beauty products. Both are particular champions of travel retail (each drove the creation of a global division dedicated to the channel) and both are deeply committed to programmes of innovation, digitalisation and Corporate Social Responsibility priorities such as diversity & inclusion and sustainability.
Ricard joined the Pernod Ricard group in 2003 and served the travel retail community with great distinction as CEO of Pernod Ricard Asia Duty Free from September 2006 until July 2008, when he became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Irish Distillers Group and became a member of Pernod Ricard’s Executive Committee.
In September 2011, he joined the Group General Management as Managing Director, Distribution Network and became a member of the Executive Board. In February 2015 he was appointed Chairman & CEO of the Group. Soon afterwards, and underlining his support of travel retail, he created the new position of Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail (held by Mohit Lal ever since), reporting directly to company HQ.
Masahiko Uotani drove the creation of a dedicated travel retail division, a decision that has paid rich dividends
Uotani became Chairman, President & CEO of the Japanese beauty giant in June 2014, adding the role of Executive Officer this month.
His deep conviction about the importance of travel retailled to the creation of a unified travel retail division led by Philippe Lesne in May 2016, a decision that has since been triumphantly vindicated
The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie said: “I have enjoyed the professional company of both Alexandre Ricard and Uotani-san on numerous occasions during some of the most insightful and illluminating interviews it has been my honour to conduct.
“So I know precisely how committed each of them is to the travel retail channel, a belief that remains unwavering in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The participation of these two outstanding leaders sends out a critically important statement to all travel retail sector stakeholders about the long-term value and role of the channel.”
Click on the image to read an interview with Alexandre Ricard from October 2019 in which he said: “I think that the two key success factors in a partnership are these: number one, full alignment of all partners; number two is collaboration. The more we collaborate in transparency and so on, the more we can align on targeting the traveller and making things happen.” Never have such aims been more important than in today’s pandemic-traumatised channel.
For details on exhibiting or sponsoring the Virtual Travel Retail Expo please email Irene Revilla at Irene@MoodieDavittReport.com.