Interview, Part 1: Chris Gabaldon, President, Moët Hennessy North America

Luxury industry veteran Chris Gabaldon took the helm of Moët Hennessy North America earlier this year amid a tumultuous time in the drinks business. He joined Moët Hennessy from Marriott International, where he served as senior vice president, global luxury operations and guest experiences, overseeing operations for brands including The Ritz-Carlton, Bvlgari, The W, and others. He also served as senior vice president, luxury brands, and in other key sales and marketing roles across more than two decades with Marriott. In addition, Gabaldon was chief operating officer for Auberge Resorts Collection—known for its luxury properties in Napa Valley, Hawaii, Aspen, the Hudson Valley, and elsewhere—from 2019-2020.

In his new role, Gabaldon is focused on steering Moët Hennessy through a challenging period in the industry, leveraging his luxury experience to drive the company’s upscale portfolio in the market, while seeding future growth through innovation. SND executive editor Daniel Marsteller met with Gabaldon at Moët Hennessy North America’s Manhattan headquarters to get his views on the portfolio and the future of the business.

SND: How has your background in the luxury hotel business informed your approach to this new role at the helm of the leading luxury drinks marketer?

Gabaldon: I came from Marriott International’s luxury group. I’ve spent over 30 years in the hospitality business, about 22 of those in the luxury space, overseeing brands like Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W hotels, and Bvlgari hotels and resorts. Luxury is not a commodity. It’s about emotion, about an experience, about a connection. Sometimes that’s built through travel and experiences, sometimes it’s built through high quality liquids such as Champagne and Cognac.

It’s defined by the connection you have with a product. And that often comes down to craftsmanship, quality, and elegance—the artistry practiced by our winemakers, master distillers, and blenders. In some cases our company has been making these products over hundreds of years. I find myself very fortunate to be a steward of these brands.

SND: How are you finding luxury demand overall within the drinks sector, and how are current conditions manifesting within the portfolio?

Gabaldon: Luxury will continue to grow. It’s estimated to increase roughly 10% to 12% per year through the end of the decade. That doesn’t mean that from time to time it won’t be down. There are normal patterns at play. I believe in the long-term trend of people growing wealth and moving into luxury categories. There’s a finer appreciation for things that are handcrafted, things that stand for culture, or that reference some form of elegance, fashion, and style. The long-term prospects for luxury goods and services—including the beverage business, which is obviously under a little pressure today—continue to be strong.

SND: The struggles across the Cognac category the past couple years are well documented. What’s your take on how to restore growth for Hennessy and the category more broadly?

Gabaldon: Certainly there are headwinds today. But I think the long-term is about how Hennessy can continue to be its authentic self and continue to connect with the consumer. In September we launched a limited edition in collaboration with LeBron James, and demand has exceeded expectations.

We also just launched the “Made For More” campaign. What our consumers told us was, we love Hennessy, it’s part of our culture, but we didn’t realize how versatile it can be. That it can be consumed in different occasions, daytime, evening, in cocktails. So the campaign highlights the variety of ways you can enjoy Hennessy.

You’ll continue to see us do innovative things on both ends of the price spectrum. The consumer embraces what we do at the higher end with rare spirits like Paradis, blends of Hennessy that are 50 to 70 years old. And at the VS end you have things like the partnership with LeBron that’s culturally relevant and ingrained in the fabric of what’s happening today.

SND: Moët Hennessy recently expanded in American whiskey with the launch of SirDavis. How is the initial response?

Gabaldon: Demand for SirDavis has exceeded our expectations. We have a wonderful partnership with Mrs. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, and what’s interesting is we’re starting to redefine the category a bit, breaking some of the traditional molds, yet it also has a very authentic point of view. The SirDavis whiskey is a nod to Mrs. Knowles-Carter’s great grandfather, Davis Hogue, and she is a true whiskey aficionado. She partnered with Dr. Bill Lumsden of Glenmorangie to create an expression that really speaks to her beliefs and passion around whiskey. So we’re quite excited about it, and I think there’s more to come.

Tagged : Hennessy, Moet Hennessy, SirDavis

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