May 22, 2012 (Basel, Switzerland) – Albert Manzone has joined the Oettinger Davidoff Group as Senior Vice President Europe. He brings a deep knowledge of the European market from senior positions at Philip Morris, PepsiCo and Wrigley, where he was President Europe based in Munich. He was most recently President South East Europe for Novartis Consumer Health Division. He also spent significant time in the US with PepsiCo and McKinsey. Mr Manzone brings a highly international marketing and sales background in consumer and lifestyle brands and has a record of operational as well as strategic successes. He has managed very large and complex organizations in public as well as family companies. Albert Manzone is a brand and consumer focused growth leader with a strong track record of team building and integration and will make a significant contribution to the Oettinger Davidoff Group and its future business. Albert Manzone is 48 years old and grew up in Monaco. He holds an MA in International Business from Sorbonne in France and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management in the USA.

Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, CEO and President of Oettinger Davidoff Group, says: “In this new role Mr Manzone will be responsible for our entire European business, subsidiaries as well as export markets. Europe remains our biggest region, comprising strategic priority markets Switzerland, Germany, Spain and France as well as emerging markets such as Russia, and is of critical importance to our Company. Leading a team of country and area managers, Mr Manzone will be charged with driving our channel strategy, our expansion and balancing our efforts between critical mature markets and new, growing markets. With Mr. Manzone’s recruitment I have completed the selection of the Leadership team for our Cigars & Accessories business.”

Albert Manzone adds: “I am delighted to join the Oettinger Davidoff Group, its organization, and its management team built around Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard. Davidoff premium branded cigars, tobacco products, and accessories are synonymous globally with savoir-faire, lifestyle, and the celebration of special moments. Thanks to a strong “crop-to-shop” philosophy, this experience is incarnated in the products, stores, and smoking lounges for the greatest pleasure of our customers. I look forward to seize upon the many exciting opportunities to continue to enhance the Davidoff experience and expand its presence across Europe with our Davidoff employees and business partners.”

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.