Effective 1 August, Miguel Ruiz (left) will become CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail Peru, succeeding Cyril Letocart (right), who assumed the role of CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail New Zealand on 1 July.

Lagardère Travel Retail has announced three significant leadership appointments that will support the company’s growth ambitions in Latin America and the Pacific region.

Effective 1 August, Miguel Ruiz will become CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail Peru, succeeding Cyril Letocart, who assumed the role of CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail New Zealand on 1 July.

Concurrently, Laura Perron has been appointed Chief Commercial, Digital and Marketing Officer of Lagardère Travel Retail New Zealand, effective 15 July.

With more than 20 years’ retail experience across foodservice, shopping centres and the travel retail sector, Ruiz joined Lagardère Travel Retail in 2022 as Commercial Director in Peru.

The company described him as being ‘instrumental’ in developing the brand portfolio, launching the Travel Essentials and Foodservice lines and contributing to commercial negotiations for the new Lima Airport terminal.

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved in Peru over the past three years – launching all three business lines, expanding our brand portfolio and establishing the operation as a key platform for Lagardère Travel Retail in Latin America,” he commented.

“I’m grateful to Cyril for his dedication, commitment and support, and to our partners for their continued trust.

“As I step into the role of CEO, my priority is to stabilise our operations since the recent opening and empower our people to drive the next phase of growth for Lagardère Travel Retail in Latin America.”

TRBusiness is featuring an extended interview with Ruiz in the August/September 2025 issue.

In the meantime, he told us: “I’m truly honoured to take on this role at such an exciting time for our business in Peru.

“My vision is clear: we aim to be the best at what we do. While we may not be the biggest in the region, we’re fully committed to setting the benchmark in travel retail experience – by boosting revenue, enhancing the passenger journey, attracting top brands, and empowering the talented team we already have.

“My team and I know this is a big and exciting challenge, but we love challenges, and we’re ready for it.”

From L-R: Gonzalo Arcaya, Business Developer Senior, Lima Airport; Lucio Benavente, Retail Manager, Lima Airport; Norbert Onkelbach, Chief Commercial Officer at Lima Airport; Cyril Letocart, appointed CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail New Zealand; and Laura Perron, appointed Chief Commercial, Digital and Marketing Officer of Lagardère Travel Retail New Zealand.

The high-profile opening of the new terminal at Lima Jorge Chavez International Airport in June marked a major milestone for Lagardère in the region.

Now, all eyes will be on how the company will strive to maintain consumer engagement in the retail and F&B offerings beyond the initial excitement.

“It’s one of the key medium-term challenges we’ve already identified,” confirmed Ruiz to TRBusiness.

“That’s where my previous experience leading the commercial team becomes essential: we’ve learned that maintaining momentum requires not only creativity but also discipline and adaptability.

“Our strategy is to keep a dynamic and agile offer in both retail and F&B. Over the past three years, we’ve introduced more than 70 new brands in Duty Free, and we’ll continue evolving our mix based on consumer behavior and performance data.

“In F&B, we’ll work hand-in-hand with chefs and brand partners to constantly refresh our food offer – aligning with new trends, formats, and expectations.

“In short, we aim to turn the opening buzz into sustained interest and loyalty, by ensuring passengers always find something new, relevant, and memorable when they travel through Lima.”

Added Jean-Baptiste Morin, Regional COO, Americas: “The work Cyril has accomplished in Latin America is nothing short of remarkable.

“Thanks to his leadership, we now have a solid platform across Duty Free, Travel Essentials, and Foodservice that stands as a true landmark in the region and the industry.

“Miguel has played a key role alongside Cyril and we are certain he is the right person to lead our next phase of growth in Peru.

“We believe strongly in the potential of Peru and Latin America and remain committed to investing in this dynamic market.”

Powering forward in the Pacific

Letocart’s new role as Lagardère Travel Retail New Zealand CEO will see him manage the transformation of the company’s business at Auckland International Airport, where Lagardère Travel Retail was recently appointed to run duty free retailing under a new eight-year contract.

“Leading the development of Lagardère Travel Retail in Peru has been a demanding and deeply rewarding journey,” he said.

“I’m especially proud of how our incredibly dedicated team succeeded in opening the new terminal in Lima and in totally transforming the retail and F&B offer there.

“As I take on the role of CEO in Auckland, I’m eager to put my recent experience to good use and, together with our team, shape a bold new vision for duty free in Auckland.”

Laura Perron, appointed Chief Commercial, Digital and Marketing Officer of Lagardère Travel Retail New Zealand.

Letocart brings with him a wealth of experience, having risen through the ranks at Lagardère Travel Retail, from the company’s Business Development department to roles in the Middle East and Africa before being appointed CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail Peru in 2022.

Under his leadership, the company opened Duty Free, Travel Essentials and Foodservice operations in Lima, supporting Lima Airport Partners’ ambition to raise the bar for travel retail and dining in Latin America.

As the newly appointed Chief Commercial, Digital and Marketing Officer, Perron transfers her extensive experience within Lagardère Travel Retail to the role.

Notably he held posts in Switzerland and France, before joining the Latin America team to lead the Foodservice setup in Chile and Peru.

Since 2022 she has overseen business development for the company across South America and played a key role in the Lima opening.

“After a very rewarding few years in Latin America, I’m honoured to take on the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Lagardère Travel Retail New Zealand,” she said.

“Over the past five years, I’ve had the privilege to contribute to our growth in South America and to develop strong partnerships, notably with Lima Airport Partners.

“I’m proud of the work accomplished with our teams to bring a unique gastronomic offer to life and enhance the customer experience. I now look forward to advancing our commercial strategy and driving innovation to support our development in the Pacific.”

In March, Lagardère Travel Retail announced that, following a competitive tender, it had been appointed by Auckland Airport to operate duty free retailing at AKL under a new eight-year contract beginning on 1 July 2025.

Added Luc Mansion, Group Chief Financial Officer & Regional COO, Pacific: “Cyril has already proven his exceptional leadership and ability to deliver outstanding results in different environments.

“Supported by Laura and our New Zealand and Regional teams, we have full confidence in his capacity to drive the transformation of the duty-free stores at Auckland Airport, and to ensure we give travellers arriving and departing New Zealand a truly premium shopping experience, working in close partnership with Auckland airport teams.”

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