Ferne joins Camus in Hong Kong

John Rimmer

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Duty-free veteran Richard Ferne tells RavenFox.com he is "really pleased" to join "the most innovative and inventive of cognac makers"

Former Brown-Forman duty-free business development director Americas/Asia Richard Ferne is to join Camus International as area director based in Hong Kong. Ferne, who will report to Camus commercial director Clive Carpenter, will begin his new role on January 3.

Ferne is a well-known figure in the duty-free industry, having helped shape the travel-retail strategies of liquor companies including Whyte & Mackay, Allied Domecq, IDV (forerunner of Diageo) and most recently Brown-Forman, which he left last summer. Ferne has also served as a key member of Tax Free World Association's management committee. His job at Camus is a new post, created following the company's recent restructure from a geographical split between Asia/Pacific and the rest of the world to a single sales organisation.  All sales functions now report to the newly created post of commercial director held by Carpenter.

Ferne told RavenFox.com: "I am really pleased to be joining the Camus family, which is the most innovative and inventive of cognac makers. Between us we have a very interesting raft of experience.

"It's well documented that cognac has seen some decline in the last 10 years but the key is appealing to new consumers, and there are plenty of them in Asia. Look what cognac has done in the US. It's the drink of hip-hop culture now. Cognac is a drink that can be made relevant." Ferne, a former inspector with the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, said he was relishing the move back to Hong Kong. "I can get my Cantonese back up to scratch," he told RavenFox.com.

Camus president Cyril Camus welcomed Ferne to the company, and expressed confidence that he will help the cognac supplier build its business in Asia/Pacific. "We are very happy that he has accepted to join us. He is a very welcome addition to the team," he told RavenFox.com. "It shows Camus's commitment to duty free and the business overall not only that we asked him to join us but that he accepted."

Camus has also appointed Olivier Nouet to its US division CIL US. Nouet joins from William Pitters where he was export manager for the Americas, and he will report to CIL US vice-president Laurent Fortin.