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
Haitham Al Majali is the CEO of Jordanian Duty Free Shops – a Jordanian public shareholders company which was founded in 1997 and operates sixteen duty free, land border and seaport outlets.
Haitham is one of the founders of JDF, and is also a Board Member and shareholder. He was elected President of the Middle East & Africa Duty Free Association (MEADFA) in 2017.
In addition to his roles with JDF and MEADFA, Haitham is a Chairman and/or Board Member of several companies in Jordan.
Haitham earned his engineering degree from Cardiff University in South Wales, UK.
Dermot Davitt is one of the most experienced editors and commentators working in the travel retail media.
He joined The Moodie Report in April 2006 as Deputy Publisher, becoming President (and Co-owner) of The Moodie Davitt Report from August 2015. The company is today part of UK-based publishing and events business Mark Allen Group.
Davitt plays a key management role across the company’s operations, from its flourishing Print Division to the industry’s leading business intelligence website, www.MoodieDavittReport.com, The Moodie Davitt e-Zine and other titles.
Based in Galway, Ireland, Dermot is also a highly experienced conference moderator. He has chaired and moderated many of the travel retail industry’s leading events over the years, including The Trinity Forum, the Airport Food & Beverage Conference & Awards, the MEADFA Conference, the TFWA Asia Pacific Conference, the Nordic Travel Retail Seminar and many others.
Bernard is a qualified Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with over 30 years of experience living and working in Ireland, Scotland, Bahrain, Dubai, the Dutch Antilles and the United States.
His career has seen him work in the textile manufacturing, mobile telecommunications, private practice and the travel retail business. Bernard has over 16 years’ experience working in the duty-free industry, having previously worked for Bahrain Duty Free (1998-2001) and for Dubai Duty Free (2001-2007). Bernard returned to Dubai Duty Free in May 2010 to head up the Finance Department as Finance Controller and was named Senior Vice President – Finance (Retail & Leisure) in July 2016.
In addition to his CPA qualification, Bernard holds a Masters in Business Administration and is currently carrying out Doctoral studies in airport retailing. In October 2013, Bernard was elected Chairman of The Irish Business Council in Dubai, a position he held for two years.
Sarah Branquinho is an active advocate for the duty-free and travel retail industry, and the key dual role it plays in enhancing transport infrastructure and the passenger experience. She is President of the European Travel Retail Confederation, the representative organisation for the duty free and travel retail industry in Europe, Chair of the UK Travel Retail Forum and a member of the Board of the Duty Free World Council. Sarah was also recently elected to the ACI World Business Partners Advisory Board.
With thirty years of experience in the duty free industry at TFWA, then managing the consumer mobilisation programme and the ambitious research projects which underpinned the lobby to save intra-EU duty free, Sarah joined BAA and its retail company World Duty Free where her remit for business relationships and external affairs grew with the company. With World Duty Free’s recent acquisition by Dufry AG, the overall business now accounts for one in every four travel retail sales worldwide.
