INTERNATIONAL. Episode 2 of TRI-POD, the new Moodie Davitt Report video podcast series in association with The SEVA Group, features Sharon Beecham, Vice President – Purchasing at Dubai Duty Free.
Each edition features a different guest chatting not just about the travel retail industry but also about their own lives, likes and inspirations.
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.
Roger has a wealth of travel retail experience, much of it generated at global drinks giant Diageo, where he spent over 13 years. In the prelude to Sharon Beecham’s apperance, Roger talks about his issue of the week, duty free islands such as Hainan.
In this fascinating episode, Sharon talks about she entered the duty free industry with Aer Rianta International (ARI) in Moscow in the 1990s and what the combination of culture shock and ARI’s indominable spirit taught her.
She also reflects on the close family culture of Dubai Duty Free and the leadership of key influences in her career such as Executive Vice Chairman & CEO Colm McLoughlin.
Sharon talks, too, about being a woman in a still male-dominated sector, praising Dubai Duty Free in that regard but recalling how when she was appointed to the role, a leading supplier commented with much surprise: “I always knew Dubai Duty Free was a forward-thinking organisation. And now I know, as it has put a woman in charge!”
As always, Roger and Martin transport this week’s guest to a desert island. Find out what tipple Sharon might sip on those balmy evenings and how a certain Australian winery might be missing out big time on Dubai Duty Free sales. Discover why she ‘ghosted’ Roger Jackson on Facebook, and which, of the countless options at Dubai Duty Free, she would take to the island with her as an indulgence.
If you would like to appear on TRI-POD, or have a recommendation as to who should, let us know at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com
ABOUT THE SEVA GROUP
The SEVA Group, founded and owned by Severino Pušić, has diverse interests across travel retail (supply, distribution and retail), local market distribution and real estate. Founded in 1997 from its origins as a liquor and tobacco wholesaler in the Balkans, The SEVA Group has emerged as a powerful international force, with operations in Panama, Australia and Dubai, and a global distribution centre in Croatia.
