Heineken strengthens global travel retail team with six new appointments

Heineken has made a series of six senior appointments across its Global Duty Free and Travel Retail team, consolidating its commitment to supporting customers globally, including enhanced focus on Cruise and Airlines and the strengthening of its regional teams in Asia and the Americas.

Transferring from the position of Senior Duty-Free Manager for Heineken, Natalie Fernandez, a seasoned commercial leader with over 20 years’ experience in the beverage and retail resale industries, is appointed Senior Manager, Duty Free Americas. She now leads strategic development across cruise, border, airline, and military channels in the Americas and has been instrumental in shaping Heineken’s global duty-free strategy and driving record-breaking performance in the Americas Duty Free markets.

To further enhance the company’s success in the Americas and in the Cruise sector, Greg Watson is appointed Key Account Manager Cruises Americas. Joining from his regional role as Distribution and Chain Business Manager for Cerveceria La Tropical in Miami, where he helped to launch and growth of the Cerveceria La Tropical brand in the Americas, Watson has been with Heineken since 2017 and brings over twelve years of industry experience across Europe and the US.

Reflecting the global focus of the team re-shape at Heineken Global Duty Free, Claudio Stanchi is appointed Global Account Manager Airlines & Duty-Free Asia, bringing over a dozen years of commercial experience across Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. With a strong foundation in sales and trade marketing, as well as experience in FMCG industries he also brings specialist digital expertise.

Kim van Haagen joins as Customer Marketing Manager for Cruises & Airlines. With six years’ experience within Heineken, she has developed a strong and well-rounded commercial background. Her career spans multiple markets and functions, providing her with valuable insights into both local and global operations. Throughout her journey, Kim has gained specialist sales experience, held various marketing roles, and built solid expertise in commercial operations, equipping her with the knowledge and skills to effectively drive growth and collaboration in the Cruises & Airlines segment.

The team’s fifth new appointment is Dennis Deene Jr, appointed as Customer Marketeer Duty Free Cruises. Dennis’s passion for the on-trade is in his DNA, backed by 18 years of experience within Heineken, principally in sales and marketing. He brings a commitment to quality and excellence in execution that drives customer relationships and works to win the hearts of consumers.

Completing the new Heineken team line-up is newly-appointed Brand and Portfolio manager, Global Duty Free, Daniel Maczonkai, who has spent seven years in positions at Heineken and brings over 14 years’ experience in marketing, media and sales, with a particularly strong background across EMEA markets. His new role oversees a portfolio of more than 30 premium international brands, ensuring strategic alignment between global positioning and local market needs, and partnering closely with distributors and stakeholders to drive performance in diverse markets.

The team reports to Heineken Global Duty Free & Travel Retail Manager, Natalia Kulyueva, and will utilize this year’s TFWA Exhibition at Cannes as the perfect opportunity for many of the team to meet key customers, share their new roles, and express their commitment to taking customer partnerships to new levels.