It is with profound sadness that we report the death earlier this month of Roger Winton, the affable Englishman who has been the friend and colleague of Lenny DiCristofano and the worldclassbrands team for nearly 30 years.
Roger was a true industry Icon and pioneer of the duty free industry from its infancy, since he was one of the first hires of Chuck Feeney, the cofounder of DFS. Roger was an essential part of the DFS team from the beginning, playing a pivotal role in establishing duty free operations across multiple regions and helping shape the industry as we know it today, according to Martin Lovatt, founder of Magnify Brands, part of worldclassbrands.
In his eulogy for Winton, Lenny Di Cristofano said:
“In one word, Roger was a man who gave. He was an extraordinary individual, a colleague and a friend. His work was not just a job, it was a mission, you could even say a calling… For me he was a consummate professional – his influence went beyond the work or position he held within my company. He exhibited Patience, Kindness, Empathy, as the tenets he lived by and tried to instill in others… His decisions, insightfulness and hard work were inspirational for everyone around him.”
We at Travel Markets Insider add our deepest condolences to those of the industry for his family and his friends. May he Rest in Peace.
