GERMANY. Gebr. Heinemann has reshaped its involvement in international advocacy groups representing the duty free and travel retail sector in what the company describes as “setting the course” for future-oriented association work.
Gebr. Heinemann Co-CEO Raoul Spanger has served as a member of the Steering Committee of the German Air Transport Association (BDL) since 1 July. He succeeds Gunnar Heinemann, co-owner and member of the Supervisory Board of the Hamburg-based Travel Retail company, who served for many years as a member of the association’s Steering Committee.
Gebr. Heinemann Vice President EMEA Richard Hoyer was elected as the new President of the German Travel Retail Association (DTRV) on 5 July. Gunnar Heinemann had previously steered the DTRV for more than three decades as its founding member and President.
Nina Semprecht will in future represent Gebr. Heinemann with the European Travel Retail Confederation (ETRC). She also take over the position of Director Corporate Communications & External Affairs at Gebr. Heinemann on 1 August, having headed the Corporate Communications department for two years.
Christoph Stump, Director Sales Central & Southeast Europe, continues Gebr. Heinemann’s involvement in the Central & Eastern European Travel Retail Association (CEETRA) and has been nominated to the Board of Directors.
Gebr. Heinemann said that is involved with industry associations for many reasons. These include the maintenance of networks, the joint development of industry knowledge and the monitoring of political decisions and industry trends. A key objective is to use the associations to seek dialogue with political decision-makers about duty free and travel retail sector’s unique business model and its real added value as a global marketplace.
“I am very pleased that we are able to fill the positions in the different associations with such excellent personnel from the ranks of Gebr. Heinemann,” said Gebr. Heinemann Co-CEO and co-owner Max Heinemann.
“Raoul, Richard, Nina and Christoph are absolute experts in their field and have crucial experience in the different regions. They thus put the individual associations in an ideal position to help shape the respective market conditions of the future. I thank them for their dedication. The commitment to our industry is a great personal concern for us.”
Spanger added: “I thank BDL, DTRV, ETRC and CEETRA for their trust and for assigning these responsible tasks to my colleagues and me. The commitment of the associations is essential for our industry to be seen and heard in the dialogue with politics and the public.
“At the same time, I would also like to recognise the accomplishments of Gunnar Heinemann for his decades of commitment to BDL and DTRV. He has played a major role in ensuring that we are so excellently positioned in the German associations.”
