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“As our market evolves so too must our organisation“ |
Jane Ewing Managing Director Diageo Global Travel & Middle East |
INTERNATIONAL. Diageo Global Travel & Middle East (GTME) today announced several changes in its executive team, which it said were designed to make the division “more agile, more responsive in decision making and positioning it closer to sources of major growth in travel retail”.
The programme reflects GTME’s adaptation of Diageo’s global operating model review, announced by Chief Executive Paul Walsh in May 2011, which aims to deploy resources closer to the market and where the potential for growth is greatest.
Diageo GTME Managing Director Jane Ewing said: “The regional variation in the pace of economic growth has created significant change and new opportunities for Diageo as a global business and GTME clearly has a major role in addressing those opportunities.
“As our market evolves so too must our organisation and the changes we are implementing will ensure that we optimise the deployment of our resources by taking us closer to our market and enhancing our focus on those areas where the potential for growth is greatest. I am confident that the combination of these changes in our team will put us in an even stronger position to deliver an amazing performance.”
Across GTME, changes include Steve White being appointed as Marketing Director. He will lead both brand and customer marketing in a role that also incorporates leadership for innovation and gifting, both of which are a major strategic focus for GTME.
He was most recently Johnnie Walker Strategy and Innovation Director and played a major part in the launch of travel retail success story Johnnie Walker Double Black. He will be based in Singapore, enabling closer relationships with Asian consumers.
Ewing said: “I am delighted to be welcoming Steve to GTME. His experience and strong leadership will be hugely valuable as we continue to drive the GTME agenda forward and reach new consumers across travel retail.”
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Tim Rycroft: a champion of the Trinity |
GTME Corporate Relations Director Tim Rycroft will leave Diageo after four years’ service.
Diageo said that he helped transform GTME’s relations with key external stakeholders and placed the division at the heart of industry thinking, co-operation and direction. In particular, he was central to GTME’s shift in emphasis to “˜Trinity’ partnerships [a concept he championed passionately -Ed].
Diageo noted: “He personally drove the concept forward across travel retail, helping GTME to be seen as a major influence in this field and helping to revitalise the “˜Trinity’ principle in the liquor category in particular.”
Ewing said: “Tim has not only developed a dramatically stronger communications profile for Diageo GTME across the range of our audiences but has also helped place Diageo GTME at the very heart of industry debate, particularly in developing new momentum for the “˜Trinity’ approach that is absolutely fundamental to the future success of both the category and the industry.”
Olaf Grewe will leave the business at the end of July when the project role he has performed as sales and operations director will come to an end. Most of his 23-year career with Diageo has been in leadership roles within Europe, latterly as GTME Europe’s Regional Director.
Ewing said: “Olaf delivered impressive performance, navigating the region through some difficult times, and created significant breakthroughs in customer relationships whilst building a really strong Europe team. In his recent project role, Olaf has driven a number of key improvements and has laid the foundations for the creation of the Supply Chain Director role.”
The appointment of the Supply Chain Director will be the subject of a future announcement.
Nikki Cartwright, HR Director GTME, will be leaving Diageo during September. She has been with GTME for six years and was one of the original architects of GTME’s strategy. She will be replaced as HR Director GTME by Sarah Walton, in a combined role with HR Director India, enabling Walton “to drive a number of synergies between the two businesses”, Diageo GTME said.
Other GTME Executive positions remain unchanged:
David Francis, Finance Director
Peter Jacobson, Commercial Director
Marwan Badri, Regional Director MENA
Jay Woo, Regional Director Asia Pacific
Paul Downing, Regional Director Europe
Gregorio Gutierrez, Regional VP Americas
