Collie to leave BAA

Print Article E-Mail Article

The group's retail director is to step down after twelve years

BAA group retail director Brian Collie is to resign his post later this year, and will step down as a member of the UK airport group's board.

Collie has spent 12 years with BAA, holding a number of airport retail management roles before guiding retail division World Duty Free through intra-EU duty-free abolition in 1999 and helping ensure the operator remained one of the world's most profitable travel retailers. Under Collie's stewardship, World Duty Free divested its troubled inflight and Americas businesses to focus on airport retailing in the UK, where BAA's London Heathrow airport remains the world's top duty-free location.

Commenting on Collie's decision to stand down, BAA CEO Mike Clasper said: "Brian has been the key player in establishing BAA as the world's leading airport retailer and we will be very sorry to lose him. But we respect his decision and wish him well for the future and will now concentrate upon identifying the right successor. Our retail team is strong and I have no doubt that we will continue to deliver the powerful retail performance that underpins the business."

Collie said: "This is a purely personal decision, based upon my desire to pursue a different lifestyle and I will not be seeking any full time executive position in the airport or retail industry in the future. I will work closely with Mike Clasper and the team to ensure a smooth transition for the business."