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Anders Olsson: Leaves his role after eight years |
Anders Olsson is stepping down from his role as Global Travel Retail Director at The Absolut Company on 29 November, after eight years. He is moving from London back to Stockholm for personal reasons. Olsson’s successor will be announced in December.
Under his leadership, said the company, Absolut in travel retail “has undergone a dramatic and ground breaking evolution, pushing the boundaries in branding and marketing, setting new standards for the channel”.
“Our mission since I embarked this journey has been to become less of a trading operation, moving into branding and marketing, a process which I’m extremely happy and proud to have been a part of,” said Olsson. “Today, the GTR world is generally used as a test market and launch pad for our innovative new brand initiatives and marketing activations.”
Two years after being named Director of the division, Olsson led the integration of his unit into the operations of Pernod Ricard, following the company´s acquisition of V&S and The Absolut Company in 2008 from the Swedish state. The new-look organisation was relocated from Stockholm to London, where Olsson has also been based for the past three years.
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The company noted that the travel retail division had “executed an impressive string of unique, cutting edge Absolut innovations and activations. The record includes a number of Traveller’s Exclusive product launches, starting with Absolut Flavor of the Tropics in 2010”.
“There have been so many great ventures, from building bars on board Korean Air’s Airbus 380, Absolut Crystal bottles, and a number of great limited editions; it’s impossible to say which has been the most important and exciting,” said Olsson. “However, the creation of an Absolut brand store, where we have the opportunity to tell the story about every dimension of our brand Absolut, has long been a dream.
“I was privileged to conclude my career at The Absolut Company with the opening of the world’s first Absolut brand store in Kuala Lumpur International Airport this summer, in a rewarding collaboration between Eraman, Pernod Ricard Asia Travel Retail, TAC GTR and forefront creative agencies. The project was a result of fantastic teamwork which serves as an important milestone for the Absolut brand globally.
“I want to thank my unique and excellent team for all their efforts and extraordinary dedication to our mission over the years,” Olsson added. “I also want to express my gratitude to the Pernod Ricard Distribution teams, customers, agencies and collaborators for delivering on all our innovations. It’s amazing what we have achieved together and I will always be proud of these accomplishments and the journey to get there. I wish all my very best and loads of fun in the future.”
