Bacardi appoints marketing boss for its global travel retail division

Bacardi has appointed Gary Chau as marketing director for global travel retail, the division that sells the spirits giant’s brands into duty-free stores and similar travel-related retail outlets.

Chau was most recently global brand manager for its super-premium gin brand Bombay Sapphire, a role he took over in 2003. He joined the company in the US in 1999 from luxury fragrance company Bijan, working on the spirits company’s web development programme.

Chau, who will be based at Bacardi’s travel retail headquarters in Weybridge, Surrey, will be responsible for the whole Bacardi portfolio, which includes Bacardi rum, Bombay Sapphire gin, Dewar’s whisky, Grey Goose vodka and Martini & Rossi vermouth. He will report to Maurice Doyle, managing director of global travel retail.

Doyle was Bacardi-Martini’s commercial director until he was promoted to take charge of the newly formed global travel and retail division in December 2005 (MW December 12), as part of a restructure of the company following the promotion of Stella David to the global chief marketing role for the Bacardi brand. As commercial director, Doyle had overseen all sales and marketing activity.