John Rimmer at the TR Consumer Forum 2024. Photo: TRBusiness/Dreambox Creative Consultants, UAE.

Experienced duty free and travel retail executive John Rimmer has joined stakeholder solutions firm Penta Group as a Senior Advisor.

The former Tax Free World Association (TFWA) Managing Director has been appointed by Penta in the advisory role on a part-time basis, building on his work as Director of his own entity, JCR Consulting.

“I’m delighted to be joining the Penta team to assist with their activities supporting the duty free and travel retail sector,” said Rimmer.

“My aim is to help build on the work the team has accomplished in recent years in partnership with trade associations and other key stakeholders, to help ensure that our industry is prepared to meet current and future challenges.

“I’m pleased to have the opportunity to work with people and companies with whom I’ve worked in the past, and hope to enhance Penta’s service to its clients in travel retail.”

Penta Group specialises in communications, reputation management and brand-building, with offices around the world.

Rory O’Donnell, a Partner at Penta with overall responsibility for DF&TR, commented: “We are very happy to have someone of John’s experience with us at Penta, to develop the work we do in travel retail and strengthen our relationships with our clients.

“John is well known throughout the duty free & travel retail industry and his appointment is part of Penta’s commitment to the market. The team and I are looking forward to working with him as we enter a critical period for the duty free industry.”

Rimmer has more than two decades of experience in the DF&TR industry, having joined trade journal Duty-Free News International as a reporter in 2000.

Over the years, he carved out a successful career as a journalist, working for a number of trade publications. He also spent four years at Aelia as Deputy Director of Business Development.

His most recent role was Managing Director of TFWA, following five years as the association’s Conference, Research and Corporate Affairs Director.

Rimmer left the MD role in October 2023 and went on to form JCR Consulting, offering consultancy services focused on travel retail.

An accomplished conference moderator, Rimmer recently lent his skills to the TR Consumer Forum in Dubai as a co-moderator (3-5 June, 2024).

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