Bacardi Global Travel Retail names Darragh Ryan as Marketing Director

Bacardi Global Travel Retail has named Darragh Ryan as Marketing Director with immediate effect. Based in London, he will lead the Bacardi marketing strategy across travel retail, which the company notes is “a strategic brand-building channel for the company’s premium portfolio and recognised for its value in engaging new consumers”.

Reporting to the division’s Managing Director Leila Stansfield, Ryan most recently served as Marketing Director for Bacardi in India and previously led the company’s whisky portfolio across the Africa, Middle East and Asia (AMEA) Region.

He replaces Ignacio Vazquez, who has been appointed as Business Unit Director for Bacardi Spain and relocates to Barcelona. He played a key role in building the Bacardi brand portfolio in the channel over the past four years.

Leila Stansfield said: “I am so delighted to welcome Darragh to the GTR family. His experience, in the Bacardi whisky portfolio across over 90 developing and complex markets in AMEA, equips him with a perfect set of attributes, valuable consumer insights and a relentless energy to build loyalty and love for our beautiful brands.

“He is a natural born explorer and we are looking forward to introducing him to our customers at TFWA in Singapore in May. I would also like to thank Ignacio for his significant contribution to GTR, especially in brand innovation, team development and his leadership of digital as an important key to unlock new opportunities with travellers.”

Ryan added: “This opportunity to join the Bacardi GTR leadership team is incredibly exciting. It’s the perfect time for me to build on the past six years across AMEA, a learning hotbed in understanding our whisky consumers in these important and exhilarating markets, while building their passion and loyalty. My new role brings the best of both worlds – engaging with these consumers through travel, while also accelerating my ambitions for our brand portfolio at a global level across more mature markets.” ✈