welcome tripodthe Moodie-David Report video podcast series. SEVA Group.
In this episode, co-hosts Martin Moody and Roger Jackson (Seva Group) began by paying tribute to the recently retired Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free, Colm McLoughlin, and praising the excellent qualities of his successor, Ramesh Chidambi.
Next, I would like to introduce Special Guest Alasdair (Allie) Dickinson, general manager of global travel retail at Suntory Global Spirits, the recently renamed Japanese beverage giant.
The Group’s portfolio includes a number of excellent Japanese whiskies sold under the Suntory brand name, as well as Jim Beam, Haku Vodka, Roku Gin, Cruzan Rum, Bowmore, Laphroaig, Ardmore and Teacher’s, among many other brands.
Ally has been with the company (formerly Beam Suntory) for nearly 13 years, with travel retail as his primary focus for the majority of the past decade, which has resulted in him becoming a well-known and respected figure in the channel and helping to drive it forward from his base in Singapore.
In this compelling and candid conversation, Ally talks about growing up in a working-class family in Glasgow and the values that were instilled in her.
But the main focus of the episode is dedicated to a subject close to Ally’s heart: mental health in the workplace.
In a candid and moving conversation, he reveals his lifelong struggle with depression and anxiety, and how, after these mental pressures built up a few years ago, he decided to do something about it.
He spoke movingly about having “two allies”, commenting: “One was the ally that people saw in my work, who was very polished, calm, thoughtful, professional. A very stable person, and all of that was absolutely true. That was the ally that I was projecting, the ally that they saw.”
“But actually, outside of work I was really struggling with the pressures of work and the pressures of my personal life. The pressures were gradually building… it was like a seesaw that would swing either way for two weeks, two months or six months.”
“I realized that the tipping point was actually going a bit too far, and the ‘other’ ally, the one not wearing the mask, was actually having a really hard time.”
He decided to do something about it, so he approached his immediate supervisor and confessed what was going on.
“I expected there would be a backlash and that it would undermine my career ambitions,” he recalls. “Would he think that someone facing such challenges wouldn’t be able to manage a team, make tough negotiations with customers or run a business unit? The reaction was quite the opposite.”
Ally received full support from her boss, colleagues, and the company at large, and while she declined to offer advice to others facing similar challenges, she did stress the importance of opening up and asking for help.
Co-hosts Jackson and Moody also approach the issue from personal experience, from Jackson’s acute anxiety due to COVID-19 to Moody’s loss of his sister to suicide and the difficulty of finding “an in-between sanctuary, a destination that’s just unreachable to me.”
This is a must-listen episode, highlighting important messages about mental health in the workplace, accepting and offering support, and the welcome progress being made towards breaking down the stigma surrounding this issue.
As always, at TRI-POD, we’ll be flying you to our deserted island home on ultra-low-cost carrier TRI-POD Airlines (with offshore duty-free status, of course).
Ally reveals her favorite duty free purchases, her reading preferences, her musical tastes, and the three amazingly colorful and intelligent guests she’d love to invite to a private dinner party.
Notes: Would you like to appear with Roger and Martin on TRI-POD? Email us at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com and we’ll be in touch.
Previously broadcast on Tri-Pod (click the link to listen)
Up close and personal with Lance Heyward
Talking Negotiations with Paul Duckworth
A conversation with Pauline Prescott, founder of Formula Prescott
Meet Maitreyi Karanth, Founder of the Koma Karanth Foundation
Meet Ellen Torvey of Goldbar Whisky
Meet Garry “Gadget” Maxwell of GMAX Travel Retail
Susan Gray, globetrotting airport concession expert and “accidental hotelier”
Dufry’s Isabelle Zarza
John Rimmer, Managing Director, TFWA
Founder of Brand Embassy and DayHoliday, Fiora Holzleitner, talks about “Sharing Happiness”
A conversation with Martin MacKinnon of Accolade Wines
A conversation with Patrick Awad of Philip Morris International
A conversation with Mast Jägermeister’s Toby Witte
How a crazy dream came true – Mirabaud founder Stephen Cronk
“I fight injustice” – Patrick Doyle, Founder of International Diplomatic Supplies
A conversation with Bruno Guisset of Lagardère Travel Retail
A conversation with Jackie Davies, Lagardère Travel Retail Middle East
A conversation with Tim Young
