As President of the Duty Free World Council, Sarah Branquinho is an active advocate for the duty-free and travel retail industry and the key role it plays in enhancing transport infrastructure and the passenger experience.
Initially appointed the first Commercial Director of the industry’s trade association Tax Free World Association, the start of the duty-and tax-free industry’s campaign to fight the abolition of intra-EU duty- and tax-free sales saw her take up key advocacy roles. She served as Secretary General of the European Travel Research Foundation from 1995, managing and co-ordinating the ambitious research projects which underpinned the lobby and as secretary general of Focus 1999, coordinating the ‘Save Duty Free’ consumer mobilisation programme throughout the European Union.
Sarah subsequently joined BAA and its retail company World Duty Free, extending her remit for business relationships and external affairs to sister company Aldeasa following Autogrill’s acquisition of WDF. With the acquisition of World Duty Free Group by Dufry, she was appointed the group’s Director of External Affairs. From 2021 to 2023 Sarah served as Global Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Dufry, further driving the company’s commitment to ensuring its team is as diverse as its customer base and to building an inclusive and culturally sensitive workplace.
Today she continues to serve as External Affairs Advisor to Dufry.
Alongside her commercial roles, she has served as Chair of the UK Travel Retail Forum (2009 – 2018), President of the European Travel Retail Confederation (2012 – 2018), and still serves as the World Business Partner observer on the ACI Europe Board and Chair of Women in Travel Retail, which offers networking opportunities to women in the travel retail industry.
PRESENTATION
John Rimmer has worked in the duty free and travel retail industry since 2000, when he joined trade journal Duty-Free News International as a reporter. Within three years he had been appointed editor of sister publication Travel Retailer International, before becoming editor of DFNI a year later. In 2006 he relocated to Paris, where he joined retailer Aelia as Deputy Director of Business Development, helping the company to develop its presence at airports beyond France.
Four years later he returned to the UK to become Executive Director – Business Development at leading trade publisher The Moodie Report. In October 2012 John returned to Paris to join Tax Free World Association as Conference, Research and Corporate Affairs Director, tasked with strengthening the Association’s services to its members across the world.
In September 2017 John was appointed Managing Director of TFWA.
John has taken part in the moderation of several industry conferences, including the Global Travel Retail Summit, The Trinity Forum, TFWA Asia Pacific Conference and TFWA China’s Century Conference.
Blacky Komani joined Tourvest Group in 2006 and was recently appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer of its duty free business. Blacky has been involved in the tourism industry since 1985 and was the Director for the Americas of SA Tourism for six years. During this period he was based in New York, and oversaw operations in both North and South America. He was also Managing Director of Miami-based tour operator Karell Travel for four years.
On returning to South Africa, Blacky joined American Express Foreign Exchange, a division of Tourvest Holdings, as Director of Sales, Marketing and HR. He held this position for four years prior to joining 1time Holdings as CEO from 2011 to 2013.
Blacky was appointed as a member of Tourvest’s executive committee in July 2013 and is a long-standing board member of American Express Foreign Exchange in South Africa.
Blacky holds a BA (Hons) degree in Public Administration from Fort Hare University in South Africa, and a Masters in Tourism Administration from George Washington University, USA.
