INTERNATIONAL. Episode 7 of TRI-POD, the Moodie Davitt Report video podcast series in association with The SEVA Group, features a fascinating discussion with Luke Maga, Managing Director Global Travel Retail at South African wines, spirits, ciders and RTD drinks group Distell Ltd.
TRI-POD is hosted by The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie and Roger Jackson, Managing Director of Dubai-based The SEVA Group IMEA and Organico Solutions, the Dubai operation of The SEVA Group.
Distell is famous internationally and specifically in travel retail for its great cream liqueur brand Amarula but the portfolio has several other gems, including some outstanding South African wines and an eclectic spirits portfolio featuring Deanston single malt from the Scottish highlands, Bain’s single grain whisky and many others.
Luke has had over 16 years in the Global Travel Retail business, having held senior roles with Beam Global Spirits & Wines (now Beam Suntory) from 2005 to 2012 and earlier on with Maxxium for just over four years.
Luke has another claim to fame, a unique one in the travel retail industry – he is a former Golf Pro.
In this fascinating interview, Luke reveals why he chose the airways over the fairways and entered the travel retail channel. He discusses his key career influences; the extraordinary work of the Amarula Trust; and reveals his intriguing choice of music, dinner party companions and duty free tipple when flown to the TRI-POD desert island.
It’s a warm and entertaining conversation with one of travel retail’s most engaging and genuine personalities. Click on the You Tube icon to listen to the full episode.
If you would like to appear on TRI-POD, or have a recommendation as to who should, let me know at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com
Footnote: As co-host Roger Jackson notes in this episode, not every travel retail golfer has reached Luke Maga’s level of abilty. In fact none have. However, the profound shortcomings of his game did not stop distinguished amateur player Sunil Tuli (King Power Group Hong Kong CEO and President of the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association) from turning professional – as a coach.
In an impressively literal display of pivoting during crisis, the former 1,365,999th ranked Indian golfer last year turned lockdown to good use in Singapore by forming the Sunil Tuli Virtual Golf Academy “for the benefit of mankind”.
By exclusive licensing arrangement with The Moodie Davitt Report, we bring you two of his most watched lessons.
In today’s lesson, Sunil takes readers through some key thoughts when addressing the ball. Sunil keeps it simple, offering some deeply insightful thoughts on how to ‘snap load’ the power package; and about how to reach maximum centripetal force with minimum pivotal resistance.
In a key insight he reveals that golf is geometrically an oriented linear force. “You can divide the golf swing into 24 basic components,” Sunil explains, “each having between 12 and 15 variations.”
In lesson two, Sunil reveals how to easily master the art of putting spin on the ball. No children or animals were hurt in the making of this movie. Although Sunil was.
