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Re-assessing Africa’s airports

Airports across Africa are increasingly aware of the need to develop their commercial revenue, if they are to make the investment needed to improve infrastructure and to become profitable. In this session Ali Tounsi, Secretary General of ACI Africa, will explore the current climate for African airports, and discuss the steps they need to take to exploit the continent’s undoubted potential for duty free & travel retail.

Sarah Branquinho

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

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.