South African spirits group Distell is focusing on the expansion of its Bunnahabhain and Black Bottle Scotch brands in Asia duty free with the appointment of a new general manager for the region.

Luke Maga joins Distell’s growing travel retail team in Asia Pacific

Luke Maga joins the Distell team from Trivision International, a Hong Kong group specialising in retail design and installation, but was also Asia Pacific global retail manager for Beam Global, and Maxxium Worldwide in Australia.

He will head up the group’s duty free operations in Asia Pacific, concentrating on the Bunnahabhain and Black Bottle Scotch whisky brands acquired from Burn Stewart last year, as well as Amarula, Bisquit, and Nederburg wines.

Distell claims its duty free business has grown by double-digits in volume in the last year, and has earmarked the environment as being a “priority market” for new cream-free Amarula brand extension, Amarula Gold.

Marius Fouché, managing director of Distell’s global duty free division, who was appointed himself in August 2013, said: “(Maga’s) conversancy with the Asia Pacific region, his ability to customise retail travel solutions for individual geographies and his success with luxury brands, make his a valuable addition to the team.”

Maga’s appointment follows that of Markus Habermann as general manager in November to Distell’s duty free business in Europe.