Pernod Ricard has confirmed to Global Drinks Intel a departure from the senior team at its Martell cognac brand.
Philippe Neusch, the director and operations VP for Martell, is leaving the group after just under two years in the role. The executive, who started with the brand in July 2023, will see his responsibilities added to those overseen by the current VP of champagne, François-Xavier Morizot (below).
The company’s champagne businesses sit alongside the cognac brand in its Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët division, which is headed up by unit CEO Cesar Giron.
Morizot’s career with Pernod Ricard started in late 2018, since when he has worked on the champagne side. He previously spent two years with Bacardi in France and just under ten years at Moët Hennessy, again in champagne.
Further details about the reasons behind this week’s change were not disclosed. In results for the six months to the end of December, Martell was the worst-performing of the group’s ‘strategic international brands’, sliding 25% in value sales on a -19% volumes decline.
Three months ago, a report from Reuters linked Pernod Rcard to a possible sale of the GH Mumm brand. The company followed the claim with a statement in which it said it is “continuously exploring options, including divestments … ” noting also that “at this stage, no decision has been made regarding any particular action or involving one of these options”.
