One of the most prestigious distinctions in the world of cigar smoking is the Habano Man of the Year award in any of its categories.

The awards were instituted by Habanos S.A. in a bid to honor those who have carried out outstanding activities or social-oriented acts that have helped to highlight the genuine image and positive promotion of Habanos both in the domestic and world markets. The awards are presented every year during the Habano Festival in Havana and currently comprise four categories: Business, Communications, Retailing and Production.

Nominations for the Habano Man of the Year Award come from the different proposals made by exclusive distributors attached to Habanos Corp. S.A. all around the world, as well as by presidents of the franchised Habano Houses, and other national and foreign institutions linked to the realm of Cuban tobacco and cigars.

And even though the award says “man of the year,” there have been quite a number of female winners from the turf and other parts of the globe who have grabbed their own silver-and-marble statuettes depicting the image of a medieval knight wearing his shining armor and crown –tokens of distinction and style contained in an artwork made by Cuban silversmith Raul Valladares.

A trophy, a box of Habano of your favorite brand and size and a certificate make up the three gifts that each and every Habano Man of the Year has taken back home since the awards were first presented in 1995.

Habano Men of the Year (From 1995 to 2006)

1995 Marvin Shaken (USA, Communications) Pedro Pérez (Spain, Business) 1996 José Ilario (Spain, Communications) Jean Comolli ( France, Business) Mohamed Zeidan (Lebanon, Retailer)

1997 Henrich Villiger (Germany, Business) Simon Chase (England, Communications) Samuel Menzi (Switzerland, Retailer) 1998 Raphael Levi (Switzerland, Business) Jean Paul Kauffman (France, Communications) José M. Franco (Spain, Retailer) 1999 José Maria Cases (Spain, Business) Abel Expósito (Cuba, Retailer) Helmut Rome (Austria, Communications)

2000 Gregorio Socorro (Spain, Business) Francisco Repilado (Cuba, Communications) George Ferreos (Cyprus, Retailer) Emilia Tamayo (Cuba, Production) 2001 Noelly Levy (Switzerland, Business) Mary Balli (Greece, Retailer) Alejandro Robaina (Cuba, Communications) Aurelio Santiesteban (Cuba, Production)

2002 David Tang (China, Business) Theo Rudman (South Africa, Communications) Concepción Arteche (Cuba, Retailer) Rolando González Pérez (Cuba, Production)

2003 Mohamed Zeidan (Lebanon, Business) Jesús Llanos (Spain, Retailer) Orlando Quiroga (Cuba, Communications) Hilda Baró (Cuba, Production)

2004 Zainal Mohebi (United Arab Emirates, Business) Jeremy Irons (UK, Communications) Vahé Gerard (Switzerland, Retailer) Eumelio Espino (Cuba, Production)

2005 Fred Kiang (China, Business) James Suckling (UK, Communications) José M. Paz Valladares (Cuba, Production)

2006 Walid Salem (Lebanon, Business) Nicolas Faulkes (UK, Communications) Gerardo Medina (Cuba, Production)