Ana Lopez

Ana Lopez is an emblematic female personality in the cigar industry.

She started working at Cubatabaco in 1984 and since then she has been in the sector for more than 30 years.

She was born in the Pinar del Rio region of Cuba, so tobacco has been a part of her life since her childhood. As a teenager she had the opportunity of participating in more than one harvest in Vuelta Abajo where she learned to do different manual tasks like, for example, the sewing of the leaves in the curing barns. Tobacco is one of the main products that Cuba exports. At University CIDE of Mexico  she studied economics with a specialty in foreign trade, so working  in the tobacco sector was always in her mind.

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After graduating, she worked as a marketing manager and in 1994 she started working at Habanos SA as a marketing director up until 2014.

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She is currently the sales & marketing advisor at Hunters & Frankau , UK.

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As per her quote, "every cigar is different and every smoker as well. To choose the proper time to have your first cigar is as important as selecting the cigar itself. I would recommend anyone who starts smoking Habanos to learn a little about the product first. This will help you to understand better the range of flavours and sizes and will be a good guide when choosing a cigar that will suit you.

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To pass the Master in Havana cigars exam is a real challenge for anyone. To do so with a distinction has given me more confidence about my knowledge of the product. Joining the elite group of people in the UK, who have demonstrated such a deep knowledge about Habanos, is a great honour and pleasure. In return I hope that with my experience I can contribute a little to the forums and debates of the group".