With deep sadness we report the passing after a long illness of Pascal Delmotte, a popular and hugely respected member of the travel retail community over the past three decades. He leaves his loving and beloved wife and children, Chantal, Diane and Pierre.
Pascal was Senior Business Intelligence Developer for Luxembourg-headquartered, Netherlands-based distribution powerhouse B&S, a position he had held since July 2019.
He entered the travel retail world in 1991 as a store manager at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport with a predecessor of Aelia (now Lagardère Travel Retail) before being promoted to Category Manager. He moved to The Nuance Group Europe (now part of Dufry) as Category Manager for four years from May 2010 before becoming Duty Free Director and then a member of the Executive Board at Overseas Distribution Company where he worked for over nine years before assuming his final role.
Chantal, Diane and Pierre said in a post on LinkedIn: “Dear All, We would like to thank all of you for the lovely messages about Pascal. We are deeply touched by what is happening to us. Pascal was a loving father and an amazing husband.”
A ceremony will take place at the National Basilica of Koekelberg in Brussels on 2 October. “The presence of each of you would be magical to pay an unforgettable last tribute to Pascal,” the family said. Anyone wishing to attend can confirm their presence by email or phone via delmotte.diane@gmail.com or +32 479 64 18 97.
The Moodie Davitt Report joins with Pascal’s many friends in the travel retail community in expressing our sorrow and deepest condolences to Chantal, Diane and Pierre.
Many tributes have been posted on Pascal’s LinkedIn page and on a related post from industry friend Eric Carlier. Here is a brief selection.
B&S Managing Director (Food/Health & Duty Free) Maurice Riegel said: “We will always remember Pascal as an extremely positive and energetic fighter who had a tremendous drive to succeed. An incredible network throughout the years, great experience and moreover a very warm person with a great reputation in our industry which blended flawlessly into our company over the last three years, creating a lot of genuine fighting spirit into all of us. We will miss him and his encouraging spirit. Always positive, up till the last moment.”
Former colleague, well-known travel retail executive Adil Raïhani, said: “He will be missed by many as a great partner, friend, mentor and mostly as a dad and husband. Pascal was one of the finest colleagues I ever met; his passion, his drive and his knowledge raised the bar at The Nuance Group. He taught us a whole new way of looking at his beloved categories; food, wine, spirits and fine delicacies. A very hard worker, a gentle man who always had a smile to share, a shoulder to lean on and a person I absolutely loved working with and learnt so much from.”
Costas Trivizas, Non-Executive Member of the board at Plomari Ouzo Distillery Isidoros Arvanitis, commented: “We are all shocked with this. Pascal is and will remain a great person, a good friend always helping others with a smile! I can’t forget the last call we had on the mid-August planning meetings visits and asking him how he was in general. ‘I am fighting, Costas!’ This is Pascal, a fighter! He has lost a fight on earth he wins a fight in eternity and in our memories.”
Moët Hennessy Managing Director Travel Retail EMEA & Americas Donatienne de Fontaines-Guillaume added, “So, so sad. Pascal has been for such a long time part of our travel retail life, we spent all these years together. Loyal, straightforward, respectful, reliable, fun, a good friend. Toutes mes pensées affectueuses a sa famille (all my loving thoughts to his family).”
Groupe EPI Global Travel Retail Director Cecile Vangelisti said: “This is very sad and shocking news. Pascal has been bravely fighting against this sickness for years… I have no words to say what I feel. He was one of the first persons I met when I started my career in global travel retail 13 years ago and definitely one of the best. He was such a fabulous professional and kind person, he will be thoroughly missed.”
Pier Auge Managing Director (Netherlands) Erwin Broeren, another former colleague, said: “Dreadful, an icon to travel retail has passed away way too soon. Always genuine and interested, not only in the business, but as well to and in the people driving it. A positive spirit and a smart mind.”
B&S Managing Director Purchase Sjoerd van Hout said: “I will remember Pascal as an inspiring professional for our (young) colleagues. With his many years of experience he knew the way in our business. It was because of that talent and his kind being that we were very happy that he joined us a few years ago, even though we knew he was sick. We so hoped that the odds were in his favour. I am sad that we lose this really nice man, a fine colleague.”
Eric Carlier, Travel & Retail Director at Saveurs et Nature – Chocolats de Pauline said: “This is very sad news that we have just heard. Pascal Delmotte, our friend, left us after a long illness. He was a great figure in travel retail, a fine specialist in gastronomy, a very appreciated man, of great human generosity. He will be sorely missed.”
Abu Dhabi Airports Chief Commercial Officer & Executive Committee Member Francois Bourienne said: “Pascal was such a gentleman. We started nearly at the same time at Nuance 15 years ago and he taught me so much about travel retail and in particular the liquor and food categories. Always passionate and positive. A true asset for our industry. So sad he left us so early.”
Note: Readers can add their own tributes via the DISQUS platform below (these will be passed onto Pascal’s family) or via his LinkedIn page.
