Jonas Tåhlin is a man who knows a good drink when he has one. After all, he is the CEO of Absolut Elyx, Absolut’s high-end, luxury vodka. Tåhlin joined Absolut Vodka in 2006 as the Head of Western Europe and in 2008, after Absolut became part of Pernod Ricard, moved on to the USA in a role of Regional Director for the Americas, followed by the assignment as Vice President Marketing, Vodkas for Pernod Ricard USA. In July 2010, he was promoted to the Board of Directors as Vice President Brand Development for The Absolut Company (TAC), based in London, before being appointed Vice President Global Marketing in July 2011 – a position he held for three years before being appointed CEO Absolut Elyx in July 2014, based in New York City. Here, Tåhlin offers you the opportunity to take a sneak peek at where he comes up with his smooth, strong, silky and absolut-ely amazing ideas.
Bottle of Absolut Elyx: As CEO of Absolut Elyx, I live and breath the brand. My workspace wouldn’t be complete without one.
Laptop: I am always on email and always need to be reachable, so having a portable laptop is absolut(ely) essential.
Copper Pineapple: The pineapple has long been an international symbol of hospitality. For centuries it has been that rare treat shared by nobility at their most luxurious banquets to demonstrate that no expense has been spared. With that said, we decided to create the “Elyx Pineapple of Hospitality”, our modern interpretation of this most symbolic fruit. Best enjoyed with Absolut Elyx, it serves as the perfect reminder that even the most seriously delicious vodka shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
Queen Silvia of Sweden: It’s always nice to have a warm reminder of my native country, Sweden, so I keep Silvia (Queen of Sweden) in a place where I can see her. She’s always waving at me, which is nice..
Personalized Stationary: Having personalized stationary is a vital addition to any workspace. We now live in digital world so it’s refreshing to me when I see someone taking the extra time to do something as easy as handwriting a thank you card. It shows a sense of integrity, another key philosophy of our brand.
Glass of Water: I always have a glass of water on my desk, to drink of course, but it also serves as a reminder of our fruitful partnership with Water For People. We are working to transform and modernize the spirits industry – making social impact integration the rule rather than the exception. We joined forces with Water For People on a five-year partnership that will bring access to safe water to more than 100,000 people worldwide. For every bottle of vodka sold, Elyx will provide access to one week of safe water (140 liters) to someone in need through Water For People’s work; for every copper pineapple drinking vessel sold, access to one month of water (560 liters) will be provided. More information can be found at either www.absolutelyx.com or www.waterforpeople.org.
Sunglasses: Now that The Elyx House has a second location here in Los Angeles, it’s only appropriate to have a pair of your favorite shades handy. Especially here in sunny Southern California!
