Bacardi has announced the retirement of Francis Debeuckelaere, Regional President Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand (EUROC), and revealed who will take over the region.
Debeuckelaere has been with Bacardi for nearly 30 years and will retire from his role at the end of March, and then move into a consulting role to oversee the transition and continue to provide his expertise to the company.
Vijay Subramaniam, Regional President of AMEA and Global Travel Retail (pictured above) adds Australia and New Zealand, formerly under the EUROC region, to his responsibilities and Ignacio ‘Nacho’ del Valle will take on the role of Regional President, Western Europe.
“It has been an honor to be a part of Bacardi and to build my spirits career here. This company is truly special, and I am glad to leave strong teams and brands behind,” says Francis Debeuckelaere. “I am proud of the work we have accomplished together and look forward to seeing Bacardi thrive for generations to come.”
Mahesh Madhavan, Chief Executive Officer of Bacardi Limited, added: “I want to give a heartfelt thank you to Francis for his many years of service. He is a true industry professional and a friend to many of us. His expertise and deep knowledge of the business and markets have played such an invaluable role in building our business and brands.”
Debeuckelaere started as a local Marketing Director with Bacardi in 1994 and went on to other senior management roles before becoming a Regional president. Bacardi said he has always been a strong advocate for the on-trade, helping a global On-Trade Council which delivered incredible success and engagement with key customers and markets across the world.
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