INTERNATIONAL. Julián Díaz, Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Dufry AG, will step down from his position as Chief Executive Officer on 31 May and will not stand for re-election as a member of the Board of Directors at the 2022 AGM.
He will be replaced by a former long-time Dufry executive, the well-regarded Xavier Rossinyol, who has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer effective 1 June. In order to ensure a smooth transition, Rossinyol will join as designated CEO and member of the Global Executive Committee on 1 March. [Look out for our comment on this important story coming soon]
Díaz joined Dufry as Chief Executive Officer in 2004 and was elected member of the Board of Directors in 2013.
During his tenure, he has lead a team that successfully executed the strategy of profitable global expansion and sustainable growth that enabled Dufry to become the world’s global leading travel retailer over recent years [until 2020 when the pandemic affected its global network heavily]. In recent years, he has driven the company’s digitalisation strategy and a strong ESG engagement.
The Moodie View – How Julián Díaz recharted the travel retail landscapeDíaz skilfully steered what could have been a stricken ocean liner away from the rocks to the point that the company, now leaner and restructured, is well-poised to take advantage of what shapes increasingly as a steady global traffic recovery. Click here for Martin Moodie’s take on today’s news. |
Xavier Rossinyol was part of Dufry’s management team from 2004 to 2015, first as Chief Financial Officer until 2012, and then as Chief Operating Officer EMEA and Asia until 2015. Since then he has been CEO of gategroup, the leader in airline catering and onboard retail but left that role in November last year.
Dufry Chairman Juan Carlos Torres said: “In the name of the entire Board of Directors and company, I express our immense gratitude to Julián Díaz for his outstanding dedication and extraordinary contributions to Dufry and its stakeholders.
“He has been the driving force of the group’s development. I am very pleased to have Xavier back as our new CEO. His unparalleled industry experience, leadership skills and strategic vision will enable Dufry to recover further from the COVID-19 crisis and accelerate short- and long-term value creation.”
Díaz commented: “I am grateful for the opportunity I had to lead Dufry over the past 18 years and to contribute to its impressive growth. I thank the Board of Directors, the shareholders, suppliers and partners for their trust and support, with special thanks to all my colleagues of the Global Executive Committee and our employees.
“I very warmly welcome Xavier back as new CEO of the company. His unique experience will be a perfect match to lead the group to its next phase.”
Rossinyol said: “I am honoured to have been appointed as new CEO of Dufry and I thank the Board of Directors for their trust. Dufry is a great company, with an amazing team of experienced and dedicated professionals.
“We have a strong financial position and enough liquidity to address the short-term recovery. As a team, we will re-energize the growth and address the long-term challenges of the industry and the group. Our focus will be to captivate our customers and generate renovated shareholders value, working with our landlords, suppliers and other key partners.”
