The APTRA Board has announced that Changi Airport Group’s Chandra Mahtani will join its membership following the retirement of Teo Chew Hoon. It has also released details of a new vacancy.

Teo Chew Hoon served as Changi’s Airside Concessions Managing Director and will retire at the end of the month after eight years in-post.

Chandra Mahtani, SVP for Airside Concessions & T5 Commercial Planning at the airport, will represent Changi on the APTRA (Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association) Board from November 2023 until the end of the current term of office in May 2025. 

“On behalf of everyone at APTRA, I would like to thank Chew Hoon for her long-standing commitment and valued support and insights to APTRA and we wish her every happiness in her retirement,” said Sunil Tuli, APTRA President and King Power (Hong Kong) CEO.

“We look forward to welcoming Chandra.”

APTRA also announced a vacancy on the Board following CVH Spirits’ takeover of the Scotch whisky distilleries formerly part of Distell. Luke Maga, who formerly worked with Distell, had to stand down. 

Applications are open until 2 November for any APTRA member organisations to nominate a member from their executive team. 

Interested parties should email Anne Kavanagh, Executive Director of APTRA: [email protected]. Applicants should copy in the APTRA Secretariat: [email protected].

The Board comprises 12 seats, with the current term ending in May 2025. Member organisations can only have one representative, with the seat held by the company rather than the individual. 

Once the closing date passes, applications will be voted on my members with the successful candidate announced shortly after. 

Currently the APTRA Board comprises: 

The current board comprises: 

• ARI/Delhi Duty Free – Nuno Amaral
• Auckland International Airport – Lucy Thomas
• Australian Duty Free Association/Lotte – Steve Timms
• Chanel – Hervé Ducros
• Changi Airport – Chandra Mahtani 
• Lacoste – Erin Lillis – Secretary
• Lindt – Susana Hueso – Treasurer
• JTI – Har Ying Pan
• King Power Group (Hong Kong) – Sunil Tuli – President 
• Pernod Ricard – Simon Van Moppes
• TFWA – Erik Juul-Mortensen

“We have a fantastic team of organisations and their representatives on the APTRA board who give freely of their time and advice,” Tuli continued. 

“On behalf of everyone at APTRA I’d like to thank Distell and Luke Maga for their sterling contribution to the team in recent years. 

“I encourage all APTRA members to consider applying for this vacancy and to play a lead role in our work supporting the industry in Asia Pacific as it continues its recovery.” 

In August, APTRA hosted 80 delegates at its Summer in the City networking event in Hong Kong.