Taylor to lead Imperial’s U.S. operations

David Taylor will become chief executive of Imperial Tobacco Group’s U.S. subsidiary, ITG Brands. Taylor is currently executive vice president, finance and planning, and chief financial officer of Lorillard.

Imperial Tobacco also announced that Martin Orlowsky has voluntarily resigned due to differences with the company’s management style.

In July 2014, ITG Brands entered into an agreement with Reynolds American to acquire certain U.S. cigarette and e-cigarette brands and assets currently owned by Reynolds American and Lorillard.

Taylor will assume his new position upon completion of the acquisition.

In his current position since 2008, Taylor has been instrumental in building Lorillard’s track record of growth. He has a wealth of experience and has been actively involved in preparing for the launch of ITG Brands.

“I’m delighted to confirm the appointment of David and would like to thank Marty for the tremendous contribution he has made throughout the deal process,” said Alison Cooper, chief executive of Imperial Tobacco Group.

“David has a great track record of success and possesses the right skills and expertise to lead ITG Brands. Our commercial and operational plans are well-advanced and we continue to make excellent progress with integration planning. Regulatory approval for the deal is expected in the spring and under David’s leadership we look forward to establishing ITG Brands as a major competitive player in the U.S. tobacco market.”