Bacardi Global Travel Retail has announced the appointment of Sam Pickard as the Regional Director of the newly established Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (AMEA) business unit, in addition to his continued responsibilities for Europe.

In his new role, Sam brings around 20 years of leadership experience across the FMCG industry. He will be relocating to Singapore to oversee operations across multiple regions including Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Australasia, India, China, and North Asia. He joined the group in 2018 and most recently served as the Director for Europe and advocacy. He played a key role in driving the travel retail business in Europe, the advocacy strategy, as well as the digital strategy for growth and expansion. Prior to joining Bacardi, he worked with The HEINEKEN Company in key positions, including as the National Account Director for the UK Wholesale business.

On the academic front, Sam holds a BSc degree in Geography from The University of Manchester. He possesses key skills including trade marketing, brand management, strategy, business planning, retail, marketing, team management, leadership, and FMCG.

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Welcoming Sam in his new leadership role, Leila Stansfield, the first-ever woman Managing Director for Bacardi GTR, said, “I am confident Sam will bring his considerable experience and passion for creating successful partnerships and impactful teams to the biggest market opportunities in AMEA to drive sustainable growth and standout brand building. Sam’s appointment reflects Bacardi’s commitment to building a strong pool of talented leaders, whose experience in one region is seamlessly transferable to another.”