Bacardi announces regional leadership changes
Bacardi has announced the retirement of Francis Debeuckelaere, Regional President Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand (EUROC), after nearly 30 years with Bacardi. Debeuckelaere retires from his role at the end of the fiscal year on March 31, 2023, moving to a consulting capacity to support the transition and provide expertise on company initiatives.
Bacardi says Debeuckelaere’s career is a “true story of rising the ranks at Bacardi”. From his first role in 1994 as a local Marketing Director, to managing the commercial side of market clusters, to ultimately becoming a regional president. He also helped develop a global On-Trade Council to engage with key customers and markets across the world.
Following Debeuckelaere’s retirement, Ignacio “Nacho” del Valle will take on the role of Regional President, Western Europe. A 25+ year veteran of Bacardi, Nacho has been serving as Regional President of Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) for the last six years, transforming the regional business by delivering growth in key markets and leading the premiumization of several categories. As a sixth generation Bacardí family member, Nacho is a true advocate for preserving the unique company culture and driving high engagement results.
Pete Carr, who moves into the previously announced role of Global Growth Officer on April 1, will add leadership of Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) to his responsibilities. In addition to the region, Pete will lead global digital commerce, on-trade and route-to-market efforts.
Vijay Subramaniam, Regional President of AMEA and Global Travel Retail (GTR) adds Australia and New Zealand, formerly under the EUROC region, to his responsibilities.