Bacardi announces a change at the top of its global travel retail business (GTR), effective January 2023. The current Managing Director, Vinay Golikeri, moves out of global travel retail to take on the role of Managing Director, India, and Neighboring Countries, handing over the reins to Leila Stansfield.
Leila is an experienced global travel retail veteran, having previously held roles as GTR Finance Director and GTR Marketing Director. She will be the first female lead for the division. She is currently On-Trade Sales Director, Bacardi UK & Ireland.
Vijay Subramaniam, Regional President AMEA & GTR, Bacardi comments on the change, “Vinay has played a pivotal role in leading and developing our global travel retail business. The last few years have been particularly difficult for this channel, and Vinay has successfully navigated the challenges of the pandemic. He has spearheaded our ambitions as a front-runner in the omnichannel revolution sweeping travel retail by partnering with retail customers, introducing significant innovation in shopper experience and our brand portfolio. I would like to thank Vinay for his unwavering drive and positive leadership and to wish him every success in his new role.
“Meanwhile, we are delighted to welcome Leila Stansfield back to GTR. She is a driving force in our senior leadership team and brings valuable commercial acumen from across several aspects of our business. This is a time of transformational opportunity for global travel retail and Bacardi is deeply committed for the long term. With a passion for people – our customers, consumers and for unlocking potential in her team – Leila will be a tremendous leader to move GTR into the new omnichannel era, maximizing the unrivaled dynamics in terms of strategic brand-building and commercial opportunity as well as driving our ESG goals – a key objective in our strategic ambitions for global travel retail.”
Commenting on his time in Bacardi GTR, Vinay Golikeri said, “It’s been such a privilege to lead the Bacardi global travel retail business, and I would especially like to call out the most magnificent team of talented people I’ve worked with and to thank them for their fearless commitment and passion.
These individuals have delivered phenomenal work in the toughest of times, enabling us to reinvent our business in global travel retail and to emerge stronger with new possibilities, notably in forging omnichannel solutions that are the bedrock of the new era in this remarkable market.”
Looking ahead to her new role, Leila Stansfield adds, “I am very excited to be returning to global travel retail in January 2023, especially at a time when the market looks set to move towards full recovery. I look forward to reconnecting with our retail partners and stakeholders to accelerate and deliver mutually beneficial strategies for growth.”