Kevin Baker joins Marie Brizard

Marie Brizard Wines & Spirits has appointed renowned industry expert Kevin Baker to take on the role of global travel retail director.

Baker’s role is to develop and establish a Travel Retail business for Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits by creating and implementing a channel strategy aligned to the company’s new ‘BIG 2018’ strategy (Back In the Game). He will also manage the Middle East region.

Marie Brizard is by no means new to Travel Retail but the company – previously known as the Belvedere Group - has seen a complete restructuring of its business during 2014.

Baker says: “Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits is embarking on an exciting new strategy for travel retail with a strong portfolio of both established and innovative new brands including Cognac Gautier (voted the World’s Best Cognac), Sobieski Estate Vodka, Marie Brizard Liqueurs, and the recently launched SHOTKA, amongst others.”

Baker brings a long and distinguished 30 years plus track record to Marie Brizard with huge experience on the brand, distributor and retailer sides of the TR fence. Most recently he was global head of liquor and head of category Europe for liquor, tobacco & technology for The Nuance Group based in Zürich. This followed a directorship with distributor World of Patria International where he was responsible for the development and distribution of the company’s premium brands. 

Baker is probably best known, however, for his 20 year experience of global and regional sales and marketing with premium spirits brand companies Brown-Forman and Diageo.

He continues, "Joining Marie Brizard in this very exciting period for the group is a tremendous opportunity for me to exercise all the skills I have gained over the last 30 years – many of which have been in travel retail. I am very much looking forward to taking on the challenge and catching up with old friends, colleagues and sparring partners (!) in Cannes, next month.”

5 October 2015 - Rebecca Sterritt Paragraph Publishing, content manager