spiritsEUROPE, which represents the interests of the European spirits sector at European level, has announced the appointment of Ian McLernon, CEO of Rémy Cointreau EMEA, Asia Pacific and Global Travel Retail as its new president.
McLernon succeeds Manu Giró, CEO of Destilerias MG in Spain, in the role, following the end of Giró's two-year term at the helm of the representative group.
London-based McLernon has served in senior roles at Rémy Cointreau for six years, previously as president and CEO of the Americas region, based in New York, and as CEO of Global Travel Retail, based in Singapore.
'An Iconic Sector'
Commenting on his new role, he said, “It is a great honour and responsibility for me to take on the leadership of spiritsEUROPE and represent such an iconic sector with its global reputation for quality, innovation, and export success."
He also praised his predecessor, noting that he successfully steered the organisation through a number of challenging circumstances in recent years.
As president, McLernon will be tasked with playing a key role in promoting, protecting and growing the European spirits sector both in the European Union and further afield, spiritsEUROPE said.
'Ambitious Roadmap'
“In current times of geopolitical tensions and economic volatility, my main objective is to drive forward our sector’s ambitious roadmap and commitments in the areas of environmental sustainability, external trade, consumer information & digital labelling, product innovation, and responsible drinking," McLernon commented.
“Together with our members and the Secretariat, I look forward to working with our partners and interlocutors in the EU Institutions. Our goal is to ensure that EU policies structurally support our sector which contributes to economic growth and job creation throughout our value chain - from the production of agricultural raw materials to the hospitality and tourism - as well as to the social fabric of the local communities, source of undeniable pleasure and well-being."
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