Year in Review: Interviews
Interviews of the Year (IV)
A journey into the world of fine wines with MMI’s Oliver Dixon
Oliver Dixon is Head of Fine Wine at Dubai spirits & wine distributor and retailer Maritime & Mercantile International, renowned in travel retail for its many travel retail supply contracts in the Gulf and beyond as well as for the acclaimed Le Clos stores at Dubai International Airport. In this fascinating conversation with Martin Moodie, Dixon describes his wine journey from an inquisitive teenager dispatched by his father to choose a wine from the family cellar to his role today as a champion of wine provenance and quality, including in what he sees as an underserved travel retail channel. Full story here.
Dag Rasmussen lauds Lagardère Travel Retail’s triple-axis virtues
This remarkable conversation between Lagardère Travel Retail Chairman & CEO Dag Rasmussen and Martin Moodie offers one of the most candid, compelling and insightful examinations of the future of travel retail you’re ever likely to read. Full story here.
Harding+ CEO on cruise retail, customer-centricity and being fearless
Chris Matthews, who joined cruise concessionaire Harding+ as CEO just over a year ago, talks to Dermot Davitt about retail’s place in the guest experience onboard, about data and technology, and about curating tailored retail assortments. Full story here.
Reconnecting Coty’s founding spirit
“Innovation is what drives creation. The drive for innovation is really the core of what we are doing. This was the founding spirit of Coty in the past, and it’s the way we want to look forward.” So says Coty Chief Brands Officer Prestige Jean Holtzmann as he reflects on the beauty house’s 120th anniversary in conversation with Hannah Tan. Full story here.
Restructure, reinvention and revival – Ed Brennan spells out the way forward for DFS
Amid a difficult economic and retail climate, DFS Group recently embarked on a strategic restructuring, streamlining its operations and calling on a six decades-plus pioneering spirit to drive an Asia-centred revival. DFS Group Chairman & CEO Ed Brennan explains the context and the way forward in an exclusive interview with Martin Moodie. Full story here.
Lamar Letts on the creation of Hylux
Hylux Founder & CEO Lamar Letts brings an athlete’s precision to his entrepreneurial journey, crafting a product that emerged from personal experience and a drive to fill a gap in the sports beverage market. Full story here.
Virginie Courtin on how humanity, goodness and generosity spells beauty for Clarins
Family companies are a rare breed within the upper echelons of the conglomerate-dominated global beauty industry but Clarins is a noble and thriving exception. This year marks the French house’s 70th anniversary, an extraordinarily sustained narrative of innovation, commitment and heritage.
Virginie Courtin, appointed Clarins Managing Director in 2022, is a proud third-generation torchbearer for the family, the company and their joint values. Martin Moodie chatted with her during the TFWA World Exhibition about the values and spirit of constant reinvention that have ensured Clarins maintains its place at the beauty elite’s top table. Full story here.
Jaya Singh and Joost Rosmuller on life, legacy and the changing of the guard at Mondelez World Travel Retail
In this exclusive, candid and deeply human conversation, departing Mondelez World Travel Retail Managing Director Jaya Singh and his replacement Joost Rosmuller tell The Moodie Davitt Report Chairman Martin Moodie about their life and business journeys, the challenges and triumphs of their careers, and their visions for travel retail’s future.
Full story here.
(From left) Mondelez World Travel Retail Executives Jaya Singh; Director Category, Customer & Shopper Marketing Anna Somogyi; and Joost Rosmuller with The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie during TFWA World Exhibition 2024
The Moodie Davitt eZine
Issue 342 | 19 December 2024
The Moodie Davitt eZine is published 14 times per year by The Moodie Davitt Report (MA Travel Retail). © All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the Publisher. To find out more visit www.moodiedavittreport.com and to subscribe, please e-mail kristyn@moodiedavittreport.com