Independent family distillers William Grant & Sons has announced the retirement this month of Paul Ellis, the company's longest-serving Sales Director who joined the company in 1978 and was most latterly Sales Director for the

Middle East and Arabian Gulf.

Ellis pioneered the development of William Grant & Sons' business first across Africa, the Middle East and Arabian Gulf and Indian sub-continent before relocating to Cyprus in 1996 when he became Sales Director for the Middle East and Arabian Gulf.

William Grant & Sons' Managing Director for Developing Markets James Doherty said: ‘Paul leaves a great legacy having championed the duty free and travel retail elements of the business, contributed to many innovative developments including the 'Usige mhath' whisky shop concept with CTC-ARI in Cyprus and secured prestige listings for our whisky brands on award-winning airlines Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways.’

The company said that the Middle East and Arabian Gulf travel retail market continues to be a strategic priority and recruitment has begun for a Regional Manager reporting into the company's Global Travel Retail Director, Rita Greenwood.