After nearly 29 years of leading the Global Travel Retail business, Canadian duty free executive Jeff Orson announced that he is retiring from PMA Canada Ltd. (formerly known as Peter Mielzynski Agencies).
Over the course of his career, PMA has won over 10 Duty Free supplier of the year awards and has been nominated countless times. Under Orson’s leadership, many of the PMA brands such as Glenfiddich have won product of the year as voted on by the Frontier Duty Free Association (FDFA).
“Jeff has developed incredibly strong relationships at the FDFA and with GTR customers across Canada and within the international Duty Free community. He has established PMA as one of the leading Duty Free companies in Canada. He is highly respected in the Duty Free business and among his peers at PMA. His knowledge, experience and level of influence will be missed,” wrote Josh Mitchell, VP Sales at PMA in an internal memo Orson shared with TMI.
Most of the duty free industry also knows Jeff as a fantastic professional singer-songwriter, whose award-winning compositions have been climbing the country charts. Orson’s performances at FDFA events were always super special events. He also performed in Cannes during TFWA World Exhibitions to rave reviews.
In March 2020, Orson released a fund-raising song in association with The Moodie Davitt Report. Entitled ‘Pray,’ the song was themed around the global COVID-19 pandemic, and all funds raised from it were donated to a special UN COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
To learn more about Orson’s music – and hear his music — please go to https://www.jefforsonmusic.com/.
