Ricardo Carioni, best known for his tenure as COO of Tor Imports, has been named the new Chief Executive Officer of Gesinta International Tobacco Company. Gesinta handles sales, marketing, and education for cigars produced in Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Mexico. The move is effective immediately.
Last month, Carioni announced he was stepping down as COO of British-based Tor Imports. Before joining the industry, he was Nicaragua’s Deputy Ambassador to the U.K., Ireland, and Iceland, as well as its representative to the United Nations Maritime Organisation and other multilateral institutions. Previously, he led strategy and operations across various geographies for large organizations, including Tripadvisor and William Hill.
In a press release, Ramón Zapata, Chairman of Gesinta and its importation and distribution company, La Casa del Tabaco, as well as renowned brands including Condega and Umnum, said: “Our companies keep growing and our organisations are becoming more complex. We face new challenges in the tobacco industry that require agile responses from experienced and specialised professionals. As the founder of both companies, I am delighted and truly excited to welcome Ricardo to our family and I’m confident he’ll have a fruitful career with us.”
Carioni added: “I feel genuinely honoured to join Ramón Zapata, Pepe Palacios and Honorio Tortosa in the executive team and the rest of the Gesinta family. It’s a responsibility that I take with profound commitment and excitement, as guardians of our tobacco culture, to further strengthen, protect, grow and develop our industry.”
Gesinta says Carioni’s appointment is an important step in the strategic plan designed for the upcoming years, with a twofold objective: first, to strengthen the distribution and sales of the best premium cigar brands in Spain; and second, to develop sustainable growth in key areas, both in domestic and international markets.
Photo Credit: C.Gars – London.
