With 25 years of experience in the tobacco industry, Eric Piras has one of the highest profiles of this field. His network is huge and diverse and he’s built strong relationships with the main actors of the cigar world.

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Eric has started his cigar career as Regional Director for The Pacific Cigar Company, Habanos’ exclusive distributor in Asia-Pacific and Canada, largely contributing to the building of their brands and the development of the Casa Del Habanos franchise in these regions. In 1999, he joined Altadis (later acquired by Imperial Tobacco Group) and travelled the globe setting up and strengthening distribution channels for the world’s number one cigar maker.

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Eric is the founder of Cigraal Ltd, a company specialised in the distribution, marketing and promotion of cigar brands.

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Capitalising on his past as a restaurant owner and his wide cigar connections, Eric and his team operate Bertie Cigar Lounge in the heart of Hong Kong, featuring Habanos brands and offering a variety of brands from other terroirs such as Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. Bertie has been voted the 'Best Cigar Lounge in Asia' by the readers of Cigar Journal in 2024.

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