Christian Barré has called time on his working career, stepping down as the CEO of Pernod Ricard’s Havana Club International unit this month.
The executive, who had worked for the brand owner since the start of 1997 and as the lead on the Cuban rum business since mid-2017, has retired, a group spokesperson confirmed to Global Drinks Intel today (26 August). Replacing him in the role is Michael Merolli (below), another company veteran, who commenced his time with Pernod Ricard a year after Barré.
Merolli’s 27 years to date with the brand owner commenced in France as the marketing manager and then brand director in the Ricard division. Following three years in Brazil as the country’s marketing director, he returned to Ricard in 2007 for six years in the same position he held in South America. Two further stints, one in Norway as market CEO and in China as VP of marketing, preceded his current role as CEO of the ‘House of Tequila’ in Mexico since mid-2020.
In the six months to the end of December – Pernod Ricard’s H1 fiscal 2025 – Havana Club, which is jointly held with the Cuban government, booked a 1% lift in year-on-year sales on a decline in volumes of 12%. The group is scheduled to announce its results for the full financial year (to the end of June) on Thursday (28 August).
