HDS Retail North America is undergoing a rebranding and will become LS Travel Retail North America, one of three divisions operating under LS Travel Retail.
LS Travel Retail North America, which covers the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, will continue to be based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and New York, N.Y. Its president, Gerry Savaria, will continue to report directly to Dag Rasmussen, president and COO of Lagardé¨re Services.
“With operations in 20 countries, our group leverages the many talents of our people and benefits from extensive relationships with brands, partners and landlords,” Savaria says. “This makes us very capable and resourceful. Our industry is getting smaller in global terms and we believe that regrouping our capabilities and competencies under one umbrella is a step towards making those assets available to our customers. For North America, the key change is that in the coming weeks we will be aligning our identity with LS Travel Retail – in practical terms, this is a trade name change so it will not affect the legal entities.”
The other two divisions are LS Travel Retail EMEA, which covers Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and is based in Paris and LS Travel Retail ASPAC, which covers the Asia-Pacific region and is based in Singapore. Vincent Romet will head LS Travel Retail EMEA, and Emmanuel de Place will lead LS Travel Retail ASPAC. Both will also report to Rasmussen.
The other facet of the rebranding involves distribution. The company is seeking to extend its expertise to business segments beyond the press market, and has therefore created LS Distribution. It will be made up of the group’s six distribution centers in Europe and North America in an effort to speed growth through diversification. Jean-Baptiste Morin has been appointed chariman and CEO of this division.
