UK production and events company Bluedog has appointed Debbie Ansell to its travel retail team.
Ansell, a well-known figure in travel retail, will head Bluedog’s Business Development within the beauty sector on a part-time consultancy basis.
Bluedog said the appointment is part of an expansion that reflects its rapidly growing presence in the travel retail channel.
Ansell has over 35 years’ experience in retail buying. She was head of beauty & luxury at World Duty Free (Dufry Group) for 12 years and for the last two years Commercial Director UK & Germany at Dufry.
During this time, Ansell was responsible for store openings and redevelopments in the category, including for the launch of Heathrow Terminal 5. She was also “critically involved” in integration projects with Alpha and Aldeasa, said Bluedog.
Bluedog CEO & Founder Nick King commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Debbie to the team; she brings unparalleled experience of and contacts within the GTR beauty industry.
“More than that, she has built close working relationships with beauty companies worldwide, earning an impeccable reputation for recognising the potential of emerging brands with many first-to-market successes.
“This, plus her deep understanding of the unique complexities of in-store theatre and passenger engagement and strong relationships with airports across the globe, makes her a real asset to Bluedog as we continue to grow our footprint in global travel retail.”
Ansell added: “Having worked in retail for so many years and luxury retail for the past 12, I have seen the varied levels of in-store theatre and activations – and have often experienced the additional workload required when things don’t go well.
“Bluedog has proved itself to be not only very professional but also very creative in all the projects I’ve been involved with.
“I’m very pleased to have been asked to work with Nick King and his team at Bluedog and to be associated with a company for whom I have great admiration. I look forward to catching up soon with many of my friends and colleagues within the beauty industry.”
Bluedog described its aim as “to help brands come to life by delivering sparks of inspiration to turn heads with a constant eye on the big picture”. As well as airport retail, its portfolio includes fashion shows, product launches, bespoke design and more.
Nick King added that another “key new member of the team” was soon to be announced.
