With great sadness we report the passing of Peter Petersen, long-time President, CEO and Chairman of The Nuance Group (acquired by Dufry, now Avolta, in 2014), writes Martin Moodie.
Petersen joined Nuance in August 1998 and was instrumental in turning the company into one of the most profitable players within the industry.
When he joined the travel retail business, Petersen blew into town like a commercial breath of fresh air. He was endearingly frank in his opinions, sceptical about previous trade approaches and always prepared to challenge the status quo.
He was full of energy and vision and didn’t just talk the talk but put it into action. He delivered much, and commendably arrested the morale slump that had hit the ex-Allders International company in the wake of the well-documented trials of its parent company Swissair.
“Let’s have fun,” he told me as he set about delivering on his commitment to bringing excitement and a point of difference to the travelling consumer.
The Nuance that Peter Petersen left was a very different Nuance to the one he inherited, its previous contract portfolio previously studded with loss-making contracts by then in much better shape.
He was a good, intelligent and very witty man.
The Moodie Davitt Report joins with his ex-colleagues and many business partners in expressing our condolences to his family. ✈
