Long-serving Dufry Group executive Karl Walter will depart as Managing Director of the travel retailer’s Sweden and Finland business (The Nuance Group Sverige AB) on 15 July, TRBusiness can report.

The 16-year veteran of travel retail – a popular figure in industry circles and familiar face at the Nordic Travel Retail Seminar where he has presented on several occasions over the years – has spent his entire duty free career with The Nuance Group, during which time he has held a number of senior positions, including General Manager, Switzerland (2012-2016).

Here, he was responsible for Swiss retail operations at Zurich, Geneva and Basel Airports, which covered 20 airport tax and duty free shops and 30 speciality stores from leading brands such as Hermès, Bulgari, Burberry, Bally, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria’s Secret, Swarovski, Pandora, Swatch, Rituals and Mango, in addition to Timebox, Suncatcher, Atelier and Spirit of Switzerland concept shops.

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Prior to that, he served as General Manager for Sweden (2008-2012) overseeing Nuance’s country retail operations comprising 26 airport shops at Stockholm Arlanda (10), Gothenburg Landvetter (3) and 13 at various other airports in Sweden.

He also managed tax free and duty free concepts selling liquor, P&C, tobacco, confectionery, fashion and accessories, technology and souvenirs.

Having first joined Nuance in 2003, Walter served in the head office and was involved in project management at Hyderabad and Bangalore Airports (2006-2007).

In a note to this publication, he said: “I have taken the difficult decision to leave Dufry, formerly the Nuance Group after 16 years to take some time off and focus on my family and some personal projects.

“I would like to thank the Dufry family and its leaders as well as our landlords and suppliers for all the trust and opportunities I was given, to contribute to the success of this fantastic industry.”

Walter’s replacement is Margareta Le Calvé, Nordic Countries General Manager. She is understood to have been working with Walter throughout June during a transition period and took over full responsibilities at the beginning of this month.

Before joining Dufry, she spent six-and-a-half years as Regional Vice President, Managing Director at Office Depot in Stockholm, Sweden. Prior to that, she served as the CEO/MD at European Furniture Group (EFG). She also boasts extensive experience in the telecommunications sector, working with firms such as British Telecom, Telenordia and Kinnarps.