Fabrizio Canal (right) welcomes Food Accademia’s new Head of Sales, Eric Carlier.

Experienced travel retail executive Eric Carlier has joined Italian premium food & drinks specialist Food Accademia as Head of Sales. He will be based in Paris.

Carlier has spent more than 25 years in the industry, holding senior international management positions across multiple business segments, including airlines, airports, border stores and cruise lines. He headed up Valrhona’s travel retail business for almost seven years, and more recently was International Commercial Director at Saveurs & Nature.

Food Accademia Founder Fabrizio Canal commented: “I have known Eric since our first [participation] at TFWA in Singapore in 2016. I have great respect for his passion for the channel and his incredible product knowledge in the fine food industry.

“We are very happy to have Eric join us and we are confident that his arrival will bring new energy and experience to Food Accademia and its brand partners.”

Carlier commented: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with Fabrizio and his team at Food Accademia to more broadly support the many Italian brands of excellence that Food Accademia represents and distributes. We share the same goal: to build brands in travel retail.”

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