E.P. Carrillo Names Former Habanos S.A. Executive as New General Manager

E.P. Carrillo has announced that it has hired former Habanos S.A. executive Jorge Luís Fernández Maique to be its new general manager.

Lissette Perez-Carrillo told halfwheel that Maique will oversee the operations of Tabacalera La Alianza S.A., the company’s factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic, a move that will free up her dad, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr., to travel and explore new types of tobacco that he is looking at using for new projects in 2022 and beyond. She said that he has been hesitant to take extended trips away from the factory, but having Maique overseeing operations gives him the comfort he had been seeking to be able to be away from the factory. That said, he will still have a very significant presence at the factory, she noted.

Perez-Carrillo also said that Maique’s role will continue to evolve and likely expand in the future, including brining him to the United States, a country that he has long wanted to work in and explore. “We want to maximize his talents,” she said, adding that he will be contributing his expertise to product development and marketing efforts. There are also discussions about having him lead consumer events that draw on his vast experience and expertise, bringing his journey in tobacco to customers.

Maique brings a wealth of experience to the role, having served as co-president of Habanos S.A. from February 2011 to November 2012. He has also served as the company’s commercial vice president and oversaw the operations of Coprova, the French distributor of Habanos S.A. products for seven years. He has been credited with being one of the people responsible for the Cohiba Behike line. He was dismissed from his involvement with the company in August 2015.