Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest family-owned spirits group, has revealed that Belgian Francis Debeuckelaere will be Regional President for Europe, a new step in his remarkable career.
Winning formula
“There is no one better qualified than Francis to take on this important regional role for the company”, says Michael J. Dolan, Chief Executive Officer of Bacardi Limited. “Francis has enjoyed a long and successful career at Bacardi and is a great example of how we nurture top talent.”
Over the course of his career, Debeuckelaere has successfully led several major European markets, helping Bacardi Belgium to double in size and becoming number one in the spirits industry. Similarly, the Dutch division grew more than 50 %, becoming number two in the market. After he launched Bacardi Switzerland in 2004, the branch became the country’s third largest in spirits. Before his work at Bacardi, he worked in marketing for Nestlé and Alken-Maes.
Commenting on his appointment, Debeuckelaere says: “These are exciting times for Europe and for Bacardi. We have an enviable portfolio of brands and an extraordinarily talented team. Add to this powerful combination, the freedom we enjoy as a family-owned company to respond quickly to rapidly changing market trends and we have a winning formula in Europe.”
