Congratulations to Jorge Luis Gonzalez Maique

[El Presidente]

Congratulations to Jorge luis Gonzalez Maique who will be appointed shortly as Co-President of Habanos s.a. Congratulations also to Anna Lopez who will be the new Commercial Vice President.

Many of those in the trade and general cigar lovers around the world will know both these fine ambassadors. Habanos s.a has taken the opportunity in these appointments to refresh its senior ranks with a new generation of passionate cigar people.

It is early days but the sun is peeking out over HSA this morning. It hasn't shone for quite some time.

Congratulations again

[kcheek]

Sounds like good news!!

[anacostiakat]

Sounds like good news!

[laficion]

Great news indeed,

As President of our cigar club, I've had the pleasure of meeting Jorge Luis Gonzalez Maique

at different cigar events and dinners held in Paris that Maique would often host for cigar club Presidents from all over France.

His last post was head of "COPROVA", official Habanos S.A. importer & distributor for the french market the last 5 or 6 years.

Maique was very attentive to the opinions and thoughts of french Habano cigar clubs, retailers and cigar smokers in general

in France. He was very open to all discussions and criticism concerning quality and consistency of Habanos on the

french market. He would often report to Habanos S.A. about these problems and at the end, get favorable results.

He was one of the persons responsible for creating the International Habano sommelier Contest and the

Armagnac & Habano pairing contest at the Festival del Habano these last few years.

Jorge Luis Gonzalez Maique is an efficient,competent man close to the concerns of the consumers,

a generous person and as Co-President, a priceless addition to HSA and to all the smokers of Habanos.

[CanuckSARTech]

Anna Lopez - wasn't she previously head of either Partagas or El Laguito? I recognize the name somehow, but just can't place it....

[ZAZ]

Cool...

[#2 man]

Very good news

[El Capitan]

Anna Lopez - wasn't she previously head of either Partagas or El Laguito? I recognize the name somehow, but just can't place it....

I think she was the Habanos S.A. Marketing Director

[OZCUBAN]

A big congrats

Lets hope this issues a new dawn at Habanos S.A a new generation might bring fresh ideas to the table (hopefully rolling table )

OZ

[PigFish]

A big congrats

Lets hope this issues a new dawn at Habanos S.A a new generation might bring fresh ideas to the table (hopefully rolling table )

OZ

I suppose that if I did not uphold a counterpoint I would disappoint my adoring fans! Okay, maybe not!!!

When Fidel retired what did he do? Did he seek new blood to chart a new course for the Cuban people... no? When Tabacuba et al, one of the county's largest exporters of goods and forms of income, a nationalized company, part industry, part government, is going in search of new marketing managers at H SA, is it going to pass the baton to free thinking individualists or senior political loyalists?

A pause for thought!

I will reserve my clapping for when history proves me wrong. While I wish the new team the best of luck, I will remain here drumming my fingers until a time when some of the older 'tools' get put away in the woodshed! When was the last time you saw fresh new ideas stemming from the same old pool of senior party loyalists, siblings and the politically connected?

Don't hold your breath mates! Just my 2cts. -Piggy

[El Presidente]

I suppose that if I did not uphold a counterpoint I would disappoint my adoring fans! Okay, maybe not!!!

When Fidel retired what did he do? Did he seek new blood to chart a new course for the Cuban people... no? When Tabacuba et al, one of the county's largest exporters of goods and forms of income, a nationalized company, part industry, part government, is going in search of new marketing managers at H SA, is it going to pass the baton to free thinking individualists or senior political loyalists?

A pause for thought!

I will reserve my clapping for when history proves me wrong. While I wish the new team the best of luck, I will remain here drumming my fingers until a time when some of the older 'tools' get put away in the woodshed! When was the last time you saw fresh new ideas stemming from the same old pool of senior party loyalists, siblings and the politically connected?

Don't hold your breath mates! Just my 2cts. -Piggy

No doubt the Jury will be out for sometime however:

1. This is a Joint Venture (with one pissed partner)
   
2. They could have appointed a host of senior party hacks. ie Manuel Garcia was previous head of secret police. They didn't.
   
3. Both appointees have lived/worked overseas and have spent countless hours with real cigar smokers around the world. They are people people.
   

[CanuckSARTech]

Post deleted?

[OZCUBAN]

I suppose that if I did not uphold a counterpoint I would disappoint my adoring fans! Okay, maybe not!!!

When Fidel retired what did he do? Did he seek new blood to chart a new course for the Cuban people... no? When Tabacuba et al, one of the county's largest exporters of goods and forms of income, a nationalized company, part industry, part government, is going in search of new marketing managers at H SA, is it going to pass the baton to free thinking individualists or senior political loyalists?

A pause for thought!

I will reserve my clapping for when history proves me wrong. While I wish the new team the best of luck, I will remain here drumming my fingers until a time when some of the older 'tools' get put away in the woodshed! When was the last time you saw fresh new ideas stemming from the same old pool of senior party loyalists, siblings and the politically connected?

Don't hold your breath mates! Just my 2cts. -Piggy

Point taken Ray

OZ

[OZCUBAN]

No doubt the Jury will be out for sometime however:

1. This is a Joint Venture (with one pissed partner)
   
2. They could have appointed a host of senior party hacks. ie Manuel Garcia was previous head of secret police. They didn't.
   
3. Both appointees have lived/worked overseas and have spent countless hours with real cigar smokers around the world. They are people people.
   

I think you are more than likely right Rob,as in there is more at stake than just cuba's Cigars as in they have a partner now and they want returns on their money,they might as well try another direction as IMO they have nothing to loose

And maybe they will listen to their customers ,because as we know the customer is always right (even when there not)

OZ

[PigFish]

No doubt the Jury will be out for sometime however:

1. This is a Joint Venture (with one pissed partner)
   
2. They could have appointed a host of senior party hacks. ie Manuel Garcia was previous head of secret police. They didn't.
   
3. Both appointees have lived/worked overseas and have spent countless hours with real cigar smokers around the world. They are people people.
   

I don't know these folks Rob and it is not my intention to deliberately deride them. I will err to the side that anyone in power in the Castro administration is a party hack... until proven contrary. I am not being an ass about it, I am following trends in history and playing the odds.

About the partner; here is a little gem that ran in the news last year.

By Frank Jack Daniel

CARACAS | Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:36am EDT

(Reuters) - Venezuela will nationalize a fleet of oil rigs belonging to U.S. company Helmerich and Payne, the latest takeover in a push to socialism as President Hugo Chavez struggles with lower oil output and a recession.

A former soldier inspired by Cuba's Fidel Castro, Chavez has made energy nationalization the linchpin in his 'revolution'. He has also taken over assets in telecommunications, power, steel and banking.

The 11 drilling rigs have been idled for months following a dispute over pending payments by the OPEC member's state oil company PDVSA. Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said on Wednesday the rigs, the Oklahoma-based company's entire Venezuelan fleet, were being nationalized to bring them back into production.

Ramirez said companies that refused to put their rigs into production were part of a plan to weaken Chavez's government,

"There is a group of drill owners that has refused to discuss tariffs and services with PDVSA and have preferred to keep this equipment stored for a year," Ramirez told reporters in the oil producing state of Zulia. "That is the specific case with U.S. multinational Helmerich and Payne."

The company was not immediately available for comment.

Chavez, who faces legislative elections in September, often pushes ahead with radical plans during election campaigns.

The 55-year-old leader is having a hard time in his 11th year in power. Venezuela's economy is the worst performing in Latin America this year, a problem exacerbated by a drop in oil output since 2008, power outages and soaring inflation.

NO SURPRISE

The takeover of Helmerich and Payne's rigs was not a surprise, considering Chavez penchant for nationalizations and the company's refusal to work before being paid the $49 million it has invoiced PDVSA.

Helmerich and Payne is a small player in the drilling industry, but global giants like Halliburton, Schlumberger and Baker Hughes also have a presence in Venezuela.

Halliburton and Schlumberger have avoided public spats with the government.

Chavez has kept pressure up on the private sector in recent months, blaming a "parasitic bourgeoisie" for Venezuela's recession and 30 percent annualized inflation,

He has threatened to nationalize Polar, the top brewer and food processor in the country of 30 million. The government has also seized a bank belonging to an owner of the leading opposition TV station and put an arrest warrant out for his partner, who is now on the run.

Chavez in 2007 nationalized multi-billion dollar projects in Venezuela's vast Orinoco oil region, persuading companies such as BP Plc, to accept minority stakes in facilities they had built.

Last year he ordered the takeover of dozens of smaller oil service companies as PDVSA, reeling from a sharp plunge in oil prices, struggled to pay contractors.

When he was flush with oil cash during a boom in oil prices that ended in 2008, Chavez often compensated nationalized companies fairly, although the 2007 takeovers led to lawsuits from ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil.

More recently Venezuela has been slower in paying compensation.

(Reporting by Patricia Rondon, editing by Jackie Frank)

While this is not Cuba, anyone who rattles the Cuban chain hard enough is in for the same treatment! (MHO) I doubt that there would even be the tiniest of a hitch in the delivery of cigars. Now that the supply chain exists, you either play along or loose your supplier. This is the way that these "regimes" play the game of business.

With such a glut of cigars in inventory I am actually surprised that the Castros have not nationalized H SA already. I think it is only a matter of time if the economy does not turn around and if the off island interests become a burden. One day everyone selling CC's may just wake up to find that Phoenicia (or some other distributor) is their new distributor and if you don't like it go fish! While I hope this is not the case, I believe it is a real possibility.

-Piggy

[Mr. Japan]

Well done fellas!