WINE Roch Hennessy
ROCH HENNESSY, eighth-generation representative of the world’s most powerful cognac producer, tells Chris Hanrahan how his Moet Hennessy Private team enables discerning clients to “live unforgettable moments”
When Prestige meets up with Roch Hennessy in mid-February, the coronavirus outbreak is on everyone’s mind. Just how bad can it can get? What impact will it have on the world economy? The direct descendant of Richard Hennessy, founder in 1765 of Maison Hennessy, the world’s biggest cognac producer, counsels calm.
“Of course this is an issue for LVMH, just as it’s an issue for everyone and for the global economy,” he says. “It’s a challenge we must face. The first thing we look at is the well-being of our employees, and to do everything possible to safeguard them. But, you know, life must go on. So, here I am, ready to meet and dine with my clients in Indonesia.”
But it wasn’t that easy for Hennessy to make what was his first ever visit to these shores. The first flight he wanted to take from Hong Kong, where he has been based since last September when he became Managing Director of Moet Hennessy Private Asia Pacific, was cancelled because of a lack of demand. A second flight he tried to book was scrubbed for the same reason. He succeeded at the third attempt, but even this flight was far from full – a stark indication of just how serious the coronavirus scare had become in Hong Kong.
But sitting happily in the Fountain Lounge at Grand Hyatt Jakarta, Hennessy says he is impressed by his initial impressions of the city: “It’s very big, modern and bustling, dynamic. Judging by most of the people I see walking around, it’s a very young place. Indonesia is certainly a market with a lot of potential for Hennessy. Because of the delays to flying out of Hong Kong, I’m here for what’s a day trip really - just 30 hours. But I shall have a planning meeting for the rest of the year with my team here, and later this evening we will enjoy an exclusive dinner with VIP clients.”
Hennessy’s role is to manage and grow the regional business of MH Private. This little-known LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton operation is a “hidden world of exceptional domains” that offers high net worth individuals the most prestigious wines and spirits, while treating them to unique luxury experiences. For example, MH Private’s clients, of which there are about 30 in Indonesia, can take up exclusive invitations to a magnificent LMVH-owned apartment located just off the Champs Élysées. Among its attractions: decadesold bottles of limited-edition Dom Pérignon champagne kept in temperature-controlled crystal glass storage.
“Our clients, for the most part, are self-made men and women, entrepreneurs and captains of industry,” Hennessy says. “They are lovers of the very best wines and spirits, and they are quite likely to have their own private wine cellars. What we offer them is a tailor-made approach to enjoying luxury experiences, a moving away from the traditional way of distributing wines and spirits. It’s all very discreet and by invitation only.”
Hennessy, the pronunciation of whose first name rhymes with “rock”, is proud to hail from the Cognac region of France, which he visits three or four times a year and where his mother manages a Maison Hennessy partner facility for the production and distillation of eaux-de-vie for what he terms “the noble spirit” of cognac.
Married with a three-year-old daughter, he speaks five languages, including Mandarin. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations at Tufts University outside Boston. In 2005, he completed a year-long course in the international programme at Sciences Po (Paris Institute of Political Studies). “Back then, I thought I wanted to become a diplomat,” he explains with a grin.
From 2006 to 2012, Hennessy occupied various positions in the LVMH Group, in Brazil for the Veuve Clicquot and Chandon brands, and in New York and Paris for Ruinart. Then he gravitated towards another great passion: aviation. A certified commercial pilot, Hennessy joined Brazil’s Embraer and, later, the Canadian manufacturer Bombardier, as a sales director for French-speaking markets.
In 2017, Hennessy returned to the world of wine and spirits when Maison Hennessy appointed him Business Development Manager for China. Although based in Paris, he visited China frequently, travelling all over and falling in love with the people, the food and the culture. As a result, he feels a strong connection with the country, which makes the coronavirus outbreak particularly distressing for him.
In his new role, Roch Hennessy heads up a team dedicated to serving Maison Hennessy’s “most select and discerning clients”. The mission is to introduce them to new ways to experience the noble spirit and take them on a personal journey through Moet Hennessy’s various maisons. “Putting it simply,” Hennessy declares, “this is their opportunity to live unforgettable moments.”