Bacardi moves Westbay chief to whisky division

Bacardi International is moving Jim Roche, the marketing director of its UK joint venture Westbay Distributors, over to its whisky division William Lawson, where he will take up the position of assistant managing director.

Westbay, which is a joint venture between Bacardi and Martini & Rosso, is promoting former European co-ordinator Geoffrey Bichard to fill Roche’s post.

Bichard will be in charge of an advertising budget worth over £12m (Register-MEAL), with leading wine and spirits brands including Martini, Bacardi and Bacardi Breezers and Offley Port.

Westbay is test marketing a premium extension to the Bacardi rum brand, Bacardi Black, in Glasgow and in duty-free outlets.

Roche will shortly leave to take up his new position, based in Scotland.

William Lawson is a leading whisky brand in Europe, but its UK advertising spend is not listed by Register-MEAL.