SWITZERLAND. Stewart Dryburgh, General Manager of Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR), is leaving the division to assume a big new challenge running Nestlé India’s confectionery business.
The Scot, who has played a prominent role in driving forward NITR’s business and in championing the confectionery category per se in travel retail, becomes General Manager for Confectionery Nestlé India, effective January 2006.
He told The Moodie Report the company is recruiting internally for his replacement. In the meantime Deputy General Manager Iain Harrison will head the business on an interim basis.
Dryburgh said: “Our business has more than doubled in the past six years and that’s down to the great support of our customers and to the great team at NITR. My predecessor Dan Cappell did a great job in setting up the division and I like to think I have carried on that work.
“This has happened sooner than I expected but it’s a huge and exciting challenge. The business is growing very fast indeed in India. From a work and life point of view it’s a very exciting challenge.”
But he admitted to mixed feelings about departing the travel retail channel. “I’m torn,” he said. “It’s very sad to be leaving. There are many islands of excellence in this business and many wonderful people. That makes it a great place to work.”
Comment: Stewart Dryburgh has made a remarkable impact on the business in a short time. He had a tough act to follow when he followed the high profile Dan Cappell (now Deputy Managing Director with Abu Dhabi Duty Free) into the business. But in his lower key but equally forthright manner he has succeeded in boosting both NITR and the category.
In particular he will be remembered for his oft-quoted vision of doubling the confectionery category in duty free and for the two highly-successful workshops he has conducted in Cannes for the past two years, both drawing big and motivated audiences. On the back of those efforts he has deservedly landed a job given huge internal importance at Nestlé. Once again there are big boots to fill at NITR.
