John Rimmer has worked in the duty free and travel retail industry since 2000, when he joined trade journal Duty-Free News International as a reporter. Within three years he had been appointed editor of sister publication Travel Retailer International, before becoming editor of DFNI a year later.

In 2006 he relocated to Paris, where he joined retailer Aelia (part of the Lagardère group) as Deputy Director of Business Development, helping the company to develop its presence at airports beyond France. Four years later he returned to the UK to become Executive Director Business Development at leading trade publisher The Moodie Report. In October 2012 John returned to Paris to join Tax Free World Association as Conference, Research and Corporate Affairs Director, tasked with strengthening the Association’s services to its members across the world.

In October 2017 John was appointed Managing Director of TFWA, responsible for the day-to-day running of the Association and its two major exhibitions, TFWA World Exhibition & Conference and TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference. John left TFWA in late 2023 to establish his own consultancy, and currently works with a number of clients in the travel retail sector.

John has moderated several industry conferences around the world, including TFWA China’s Century Conference, the TFWA Asia Pacific Conference, the World Travel Market, the MEADFA Conference and the Trinity Forum.

John holds an MA in Modern and Medieval Languages from the University of Cambridge.