It is with deep sadness that we report the passing of long-time ARI senior executive Adrian Donovan after an illness.
Adrian was a key leadership figure in several of the pioneering travel retailer’s biggest historic success stories.
After ARI won the concession to manage Eurotunnel’s duty free shops in 1994, he spent five years there as General Manager. In this period the business reached more than £200 million a year in turnover before intra-EU duty free abolition in June 1999.
Before joining ARI Adrian was already an experienced duty free retailer, having spent three years with military and diplomatic supplier NAAFI in Germany in the 1970s, and later working for London Heathrow Airport duty free concessionaire Allders, where he held General Manager roles at T1, T3 and T4.
After Eurotunnel Donovan moved to a new ARI role in Moscow, becoming General Manager at the Aerofirst joint venture that managed Moscow Duty Free.
He was later involved in ARI’s business at Moscow Domodedovo International Airport, as well as the company’s moves to expand in Kosovo and Barbados in the 2000s.
We join with Adrian’s former colleagues at ARI and his many friends in the industry community in sending our condolences to his family. ✈
