Habanos Appoints First Woman as Co-President
Maritza Carrillo González (Credit: Habanos S.A.)
Habanos S.A., the manufacturing and distribution arm of the Cuban cigar industry, has announced that Maritza Carrillo González has been appointed as its new co-president after being approved by Habanos shareholders.
Carrillo’s promotion is “endorsed by the experience, knowledge and work she has been performing for several years in different positions within Habanos, S.A. and other entities related to Habanos,” according to a release.
She is the first woman to serve as co-president of the company. She is rumored to be replacing Inocente Núñez Blanco as one of the company’s two co-presidents alongside fellow co-president Luis Sánchez-Harguindey Pardo de Vera.
Carrillo holds a degree in International Economic Relations and has been linked to the world of Habanos since serving as a founding team member of the company.
She has held various responsibilities in the commercial, marketing and business development divisions of Habanos.
From 2006 to 2011, she served as marketing director and head of Havanesa stores at Empor, S.A. (the exclusive Habanos distributor in Portugal).
In 2011, she was promoted to serve as business development director of the company.
She later assumed the position of president of Comercial Iberoamericana S.A. (COIBA) based in Spain.
In 2021, Carillo became general manager of Tabagest S.A., where served until her recent appointment as co-president of Habanos.
The move comes as the company is preparing for the 23rd edition of the Habanos Festival taking place from Monday, Feb. 27th, to Friday, March 3rd. It is the premier event for the Cuban cigar industry.
Habanos reported a turnover of $568 million in 2021, up 15 percent growth over the previous year.