Experienced industry executive Simon Roffe is set to leave his position as Managing Director Global Travel Retail at Halewood Wines & Spirits at the end of this month.

The firm says the ‘significant financial impact of the coronavirus’ has affected a number of changes to its business structure, including in the international markets.

As a result, the travel retail division will transfer to *Eamon Prunty, effective 1 May, to be coordinated across Halewood’s network of direct customers and regional distribution partners.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

The well-respected Roffe has a wealth of experience in the drinks markets, having worked for the likes of Rémy Cointreau and Diageo.

He was responsible for bringing Halewood Wines and Spirits’ portfolio into travel retail, including the highly successful Whitley Neill Handcrafted Gin series that has established itself firmly in the premium craft gin space.

“I am very sad that the Halewood chapter in my career has come to an end,” commented Roffe. “It has been a very different journey from my previous roles in large multinational drinks companies, but a fabulous one.

“To have developed Whitley Neill from a zero base to the position of one of the leading premium gins globally across the duty free & travel retail network is something of which I am especially proud.

“I would like to thank personally all the marketing agency partners, trade agents and distributors as well as the wider duty free and travel community for believing in me … and for supporting that success.

“In what has been, essentially, a start-up business, I have been able to draw on all the good practices, principles and contacts from my days at Diageo and Rémy Cointreau but, more importantly, have had to take a firm ‘hands-on’ approach and that has been particularly enjoyable.

“Clearly, I am very keen to chase the next opportunity and to use my broad experience in new projects. This is a very challenging time for our industry; one of which we have never experienced before, but it is also a great time for brands to plan ahead so that they will be in a position to benefit when normality returns.”

*Eamon Prunty joined Halewood in December 2018 in the European export business and has been focusing on travel retail distribution development in the UK and Europe over the past 12 months. In handling the travel retail business, he will take on a global remit, working with DF&TR partners in all channels