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.

Ramesh Cidambi is the Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Duty Free (DDF) and is responsible for all aspects of the company’s operations, reporting to the Executive Vice Chairman and CEO.

His responsibilities include both the retail and leisure businesses operated by DDF.

Prior to his promotion to his current role, Ramesh held a variety of senior positions in the company with responsibility for areas such as information technology, logistics, retail development in both of Dubai’s airports covering over 40,000sq m of retail space, and the DDF Leisure business through the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel and The Irish Village Bar and Restaurant (in two locations).

Ramesh has been with DDF for over thirty years, during which time the company has grown to become one of the world’s largest airport retailers in a single location with sales of over US$2 billion in 2019.

He also maintains his links with the domestic retail market through the chairmanship of the Merchants Advisory Board and as a Board Member of Dubai’s Retail Business Group. He holds an MBA degree from Utah State University and a B.S. degree from Loyola College (Chennai, India).

Ramesh’s main interests outside work are sailing (with his wife Alpana) and the practice of Iyengar yoga.

PRESENTATION

Mounir Seifeddine joined Lebanese flag carrier Middle East Airlines in 1998 as advisor to the Chairman. He subsequently became Head of In-Flight and Catering Purchases in 2001, before being named Director of Purchasing in June 2016.

Mounir holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Rennes in France, where he began his career as an export manager in an F&B company.
At MEA he has managed the inflight retail business with great success, positioning it as an essential part of the service on board and achieving one of the highest levels of sales per passenger in the global airline business.

One of the world’s oldest airlines, MEA recently celebrated its 70th anniversary.

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.