Gebr. Heinemann has announced the departure of long-serving Marketing Director Markus Ettlin.

In a statement, the Hamburg-based travel retailer says the ‘mutually planned’ decision had been ‘kept under wraps’.

A decision on his successor has yet to be made, but Heinemann states a replacement would be revealed in ‘appropriate time’.

Further information on Ettlin’s departure and the timings for a new appointment was not available when TRBusiness contacted Heinemann this morning.

HEINEMANN TRAILBLAZER

Ettlin began working with Heinemann in 2000 and was appointed Marketing Director for Retail seven years later for his efforts in establishing a professional and well-organised category management department.

He is credited with developing the Heinemann Duty Free retail fascia from scratch, with its expansion ‘due in no small part to Ettlin’s grasp of global retail and an ability to read the travel retail market and the transformation of consumer behaviour’, read the statement.

Heinemann adds that Ettlin played a ‘pivotal role’ in the launch of the ‘Heinemann & Me’ loyalty programme, which has achieved acclaim in many different travel retail channels, plus the rollout of home delivery services through the firm’s first connected global travel retail digital strategy.

Raoul Spanger, Executive Director Retail and HR said: “We would like to thank Markus Ettlin for the longstanding, good and trustful cooperation.

“Markus played a significant role in the development of our retail brand which he shaped and continually improved. We explicitly thank him for this and wish him all the best for his future.”