INTERNATIONAL. Welcome to the third edition of the Travel Retail Superstars Awards.
These awards recognise the frontline and back office heroes and heroines of our industry who consistently go above and beyond the call of duty to serve travelling consumers.
They shine a light on the achievements of employees across the travel retail community and celebrate dedication, ingenuity, professionalism, resourcefulness and the strength of the human spirit.
Click on the video above for our roll-call of winners.
The Travel Retail Superstars Awards 2023 Categories
Star Team – An award that celebrates those teams who have pulled together, working seamlessly, enthusiastically and effectively, while inspiring each other and those around them. It recognises teams who have gone beyond the call of duty to make a difference and to get the job done to the highest standard.
Star Individual – This award recognises those people who everyone loves to work alongside and encounter in the workplace. For those individuals who always show up both for work and for others, who strive to walk the extra mile, who display integrity and passion, and who communicate with sincerity, friendliness and conviction.
Innovation: Team or Individual – This award is for those who have provided a difference to the business through offering innovative ideas that have been adopted (especially company-wide) and have led to increased efficiency, improvements, profitability or enhanced customer service.
Humanity, Leadership & Inspiration – An award that celebrates those who have shown that leadership is an action, not just a position, and who encourage good citizenship through compassion, empathy and responsibility.
Below you will find more details on each of our winners.
Humanity, Leadership & Inspiration Award – Frontline
Winner: Debby Ng, Eraman Business Operations Manager Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Why she was nominated (by Pernod Ricard Travel Retail):
Given Malaysia’s logistical and operational complexity, Debby’s solid relationships with the retailer and the store team and her strong command of operations have been critical to smooth operations and driving growth.
Her capacity for driving the management agenda is excellent. This is not just through relaying key messages but for the way in which her perseverance and hard work behind the scenes has helped deliver the strong market share position we have today.
Why she won: Debby is a fine example of an all-round leader, meeting management expectations, leading by example and empowering her team to achieve positive results.
“I have yet to come across someone so committed and selfless in Asia.” – Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail spokesman
Humanity, Leadership & Inspiration Award – Back Office
Winner: Gina Vokis, Senior Partnerships Manager Heinemann Australia
Why she was nominated: Gina’s dedication and commitment to prioritise and to ensure both the best business and people possible outcomes has always been first class.
Gina is a consummate professional, she is a decisive decision maker, a problem solver, she leads with integrity and empathy while she is resilient, adaptable and a much-loved friend and colleague. All of these qualities make her a truly inspirational leader.
Why she won: Gina stands out as an all-round role model, leading and inspiring those she collaborates with, truly exemplifying the definition of this award category.
Innovation – Best Individual – Frontline
Winner: Kantawan Prasertsang, Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail Consultant at King Power Duty Free, Suvarnabhumi Airport
Why she was nominated: Kan, Supervisor of the Thailand Brand Consultant team, demonstrates her extensive knowledge of the wines & spirits industry and solid working relationships with other field teams. Kan offers a huge contribution to the business. She demonstrates strong leadership, leading a team of 16.
She is a role model and always demonstrates positive energy to the team.
Why she won: Kan’s strong innovative spirit is evident and she is commended for going above and beyond the call of duty in her team to deliver exemplary sales results.
Innovation – Best Team – Back Office
Winner: Dubai Duty Free Customer Service Central (DDF In-house Call Centre)
Why they were nominated: In May 2023, Dubai Duty Free launched Customer Service Central, its first and fully equipped in-house call centre. The Dubai Duty Free Customer Service Central is designed to be the voice of Dubai Duty Free, serving as a vital communication channel between the airport retailer and its customers.
Why they won: The Dubai Duty Free team has boldly taken a customer service call centre to the next level, also innovatively utilising all-encompassing technology to better serve and support its customers.
Star Individual Award – Frontline – Asia Pacific
Winner: Vinay Chaudhary, Bacardi Retail Ambassador, Delhi Duty Free
Why he was nominated: Vinay’s phenomenal sales skills & meticulous attention to detail ensures that his consistent contribution to the team at Delhi Duty Free Services is best in class, inspiring colleagues and customers alike.
With notably high sales success for the retailer, it is all the more remarkable given the challenging & ultra-competitive environment of premium brands.
Why he won: Vinay is a model Star Individual, achieving not only exceptional sales results at individual level but also contributing to the success of the team and inspiring also the customers he encounters.
Star Individual Award – Back Office – Asia Pacific
Winner: Marcel Zhu, Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail Regional Retail Training Manager
Why he was nominated: Marcel listens to the needs of both store and office staff. Besides the quality training he delivers, Marcel also shares valuable insights from his conversations with frontline staff and comes up constantly with new ideas on various approaches to help improve performance.
Why he won: Most trainers are usually focused on one-way communication and delivery. Marcel, however, is an exceptional Star Individual who encourages two-way communication to glean insights from those he trains, seeking to elevate each person’s performance and experience.
Star Individual Award – Frontline – Middle East & Africa
Winner: Rowena Solina, Dubai Duty Free Sales Assistant
Why she was nominated: Rowena has been employed at Dubai Duty Free since 2003. In her 20 years of service, she has consistently demonstrated customer service excellence, regardless of the area or department she is assigned to.
She is currently a specialist in watches, exhibiting expertise in the category where attention to detail, excellent product knowledge and top-notch customer service are demonstrated.
Why she won: Rowena exemplifies the spirit of a Star Individual for her consistency in exceptional performance and frequent commendations across the years of her tenure at Dubai Duty Free.
Star Individual Award – Frontline – Europe
Winner: Avril Poole, Bacardi Retail Ambassador, Gatwick Airport North Terminal
Why she was nominated: Avril is a fantastic role model and is the driving force that inspires her team colleagues to reach new heights. Her can-do attitude is pivotal to the success of Bacardi’s growth at Gatwick North.
Why she won: Avril is another all-round Star Individual, delivering exceptional sales performance as a Retail Ambassador while multitasking, leading her team, contributing to training and even standing in for management when needed.
Star Individual Award – Back Office – Americas
Winner: Fernanda Neves, Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail, Retail Training Associate Manager GTR Americas
Why she was nominated: Fernanda is extremely passionate about developing people and the teams she looks after.
Throughout the last year she has demonstrated this through the coaching and mentoring programmes she has initiated, scripted and rolled out to the various teams across a vast geographical set of markets. This translated into very successful sales uplifts across the team.
Why she won: Fernanda is indeed a Star Individual for proactively initiating development programmes not just for the success of her own teams but for others in the group across markets.
Star Team – Back Office – Asia Pacific
Winner: Dreamfolks Services Limited: Ms. Liberatha Kallat, Mr. Rajesh Rakheja, Ms. Gargee Dutta, Mr. Purushottam Sharma, Ms. Vasudha Kirti, Mr. Vaibhav Yadav, Ms. Vaani Dagur
Why they were nominated: DreamFolks is India’s leading airport & travel services aggregator, facilitating an enhanced travel & lifestyle experience to customers through its proprietary technology platform. DreamFolks’ commercial team under the guidance and leadership of our Chairperson & MD Ms Liberatha Kallat, plays an instrumental role in the DreamFolks ecosystem.
Why they won: The commercial team at DreamFolks is indeed a Star Team whose efforts have had a far-reaching impact from back of house to the frontlines across the company’s different business units, rendering exceptional revenue results.
Star Team – Frontline – Asia Pacific
Winner: Eraman Malaysia Brand Consultants Team
Why they were nominated: The Malaysia Brand Consultant team is critical to driving the business given the sensitivity of offering alcoholic beverages in a Muslim community which has limitations on selling wines & spirits.
Despite the sector’s recovery being slower in Malaysia compared with neighbouring markets, the team has consistently maintained a high spirit and a very driven mindset.
Why they won: The Malaysia Brand Consultants Team is deserving of this recognition as a Star Team for persisting in the face of constraints posed by cultural sensitivities and limitations, helping to achieve exceptional results in the face of difficult post-COVID market conditions.
Congratulations to all our winners. ✈
