DAG RASMUSSEN
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lagardère Travel Retail
What were the key highlights of 2023?
“Despite a challenging macroeconomic climate in 2023, the year saw a string of commercial and economic successes, as well as a continued upsurge in air traffic, which reached levels close to the
pre-Covid period at most airports in Europe and the United States. These factors, combined with the remarkable work of our teams, helped make 2023 an exceptional year for our company.
Furthermore, the acquisition of Tastes on the Fly, a well-known airport foodservice operator, along with the successful integration of Marché International, strengthened our position as one of the leaders in this segment.
Lastly, in 2023 our operations got up and running at Abu Dhabi airport, which significantly increased our footprint in the Middle East, and we were also awarded new tenders in Europe, Africa and North America.”
Which major CSR initiatives were rolled out in 2023?
“In 2023, we put a lot of effort into scaling back our energy use in order to reduce our carbon footprint as our business grows. As we pursue these initiatives, our next challenge will be to address our
indirect emissions. We are therefore actively working to identify the levers for decarbonisation and to define a responsible, local offering.
At the same time, we have stepped up our drive to reduce the use of plastic by successfully making the transition to ending plastic bag orders in our stores. This initiative is part of a move to reduce
single-use plastic consumables and promote more responsible alternatives.
Lastly, we continued to roll out employee engagement surveys around the world. These are essential for identifying areas for improvement and for strengthening our corporate culture. We also
continued to encourage our employees’ involvement in outreach initiatives, in the belief that supporting local communities in the countries where we operate is key to our collective success.”
What is the outlook for 2024?
“2024 is shaping up to be a dynamic year, marked by the challenge of completing the store openings resulting from the tenders won in 2023. The year ahead offers excellent growth
opportunities. We also aspire to further strengthen our strategic model in order to pursue our expansion in a balanced and sustainable manner.
The continued growth of our business and our recent acquisitions provide opportunities to reinforce our corporate culture. To consolidate our position as an employer of choice in the Travel
Retail segment, our new employer brand will be rolled out over the course of the year.
Maintaining our CSR leadership in Travel Retail is also central to our efforts to move towards an increasingly responsible business model. Lastly, our investments in innovation remain a priority, allowing us to develop new offers, concepts, services and business models. The aim is to place Lagardère Travel Retail at the forefront of innovation in the industry, in particular by leveraging cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve the customer experience and optimise our operations.”