Bacardi marketing chief lands md role

Bacardi-Martini’s UK marketing director Stella David has been promoted to managing director.

The appointment comes as Simon Gould, the current managing director of the UK, is being promoted to regional president of Bacardi-Martini across Asia Pacific.

David has been marketing director overseeing brands such as Bacardi rum, Bacardi Breezers, Martini, Metz, V2 and Bombay Sapphire gin, for more than two years. She has overseen an annual marketing budget of at least 15m.

David joined Bacardi Martini five years ago as marketing controller for the Bacardi brands after an earlier career as a marketing manager for Pot Noodles when it was owned by Golden Wonder. Her replacement has yet to be appointed.

Bacardi-Martini is a private company and the fourth largest spirits group in the world with annual sales of about 1.5 bn.

Last year, it bought Bombay Sapphire and Dewar’s whisky from Diageo for 1.15bn and is now reported to be considering the possibility of a public share offering in the next few years to finance further acquisitions.