There’s a new co-president of the Cuban cigar industry today, as the board of directors of the Cuban cigar operation announced the appointment of Inocente Núñez Blanco as co-president of Habanos, S.A. The move comes as part of a reorganization of the board of directors and less than a week before the start of the Festival del Habano XVII which brings numerous people associated with the Cuban cigar industry to Havana for nearly a week of celebrations, dinners, competitions and a trade show.

Inocente Nunez

Núñez Blanco was born in the tobacco-producing province of Pinar del Río, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in economics before beginning a noted professional career in agriculture.  Between 2001 and 2004 he was vp of economics of the Grupo Tabacuba (Tabacuba Group), and was then appointed as vice-minister of economics of the Ministry of Agriculture, a position he held from 2004-2010. After that, he was appointed as chief of the Food and Agriculture Mission in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Prior to his joining the Corporación Habanos, S.A., Núñez Blanco was vp of human resources in the Brascuba Cigarrillos S.A Joint Venture.

In a statement issued by Habanos S.A., Núñez Blanco stated his high commitment and willingness to work in order to maintain the leadership of Habanos, S.A. in the premium cigar market.

(Image courtesy of Habanos S.A.)

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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.