Bacardi shuffles Asia Pacific Travel Retail pack

Bacardi has made several personnel changes to its Asia Pacific Global Travel Retail (GTR) division.

The company said late last week that Irving Holmes Wong, formerly regional director of Asia Pacific for Bacardi GTR, would take on the newly-created role of managing director for Bacardi Greater China (domestic), from a base in Shanghai. He will be replaced by Vinay Golikeri, who will be based in Hong Kong and report to Mike Birch, Bacardi’s GTR MD.

Golikeri moves up from the position of customer marketing director of GTR. He will be replaced by former GTR finance director Leila Stansfield.

The team will assume their new roles on 14 April.

Birch said: “Bacardi prides itself on developing its internal talent pool and I am especially pleased to have the expertise of Vinay and Leila in their new roles. Global Travel Retail is a strategic shop window for the Bacardi group with strong support from our CEO Mike Dolan and I am delighted that we have his personal support and continued investment in helping us deliver our ambitions in the sector.”

In September last year, Bacardi set its sights on the spirits market in China with the creation of the non-executive chairman for Greater China position.