Dufry CEO praises Nuance for integration process

By Doug Newhouse |

Dufry CEO Julían Díaz has praised former Nuance employees for the level of cooperation afforded during the ongoing integration process – following Dufry’s $1.7bn acquisition last year.

 

He said that since the acquisition Dufry had been able to quickly put together a temporary internal structure to maintain both organisations, while defining the fine detail of its integration plan, including future allocation of responsibilities, synergy planning and a common strategy for both organisations.

 

Díaz said: “We are on time, except in one thing and that is to announce the final structure that will join both organisations. This is intentionally done for other reasons, but especially because I want to be sure that the integration plan and the strategy to all of the issues are completely aligned with Dufry’s business model. This is going to happen in twenty or thirty days. I am not in a hurry.”

 

He said the internal organisation has now been defined in terms of personnel and overheads in the different regions, although at the time of last month’s interview he was still finalising the worldwide operational personnel structure.

 

One of two duty free arrivals shops operated by Nuance (Dufry) at Zürich Airport.

 

All aspects of the future strategy of the enlarged company are being analysed, with Díaz consistently maintaining that it would take 12 months ‘minimum’ to get every detail into place. Dufry has also learned a lot of values from Nuance that are being integrated into the single new organisation, he says.

 

“I think Nuance represents a higher standard, I would say, in its commercial retail approach. We are in this process and we have presented two or three real test proposals in specific locations and I am very satisfied.

 

“I just finished with one of them and I think it is one of the best proposals we have ever presented – it is very, very good. Then also, I think the know-how of this company in dealing with brands is also an important issue.

 

“Vendor relationships and the retail aspect are areas where we will obviously integrate very good know how and values from Nuance.”

 

[Part one of this major interview conducted by Doug Newhouse and Charlotte Turner can be found in the March issue of TRBusiness, which will be published shortly].

 

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