BAT Board changes

British American Tobacco is creating from January 1 two new Management Board roles: director, new categories, and director, digital information.
At the same time, the roles of COO and group business development director will be eliminated, and all four regional operations (USA, Europe and North Africa, Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa) will report directly to the CEO.
In a note posted on its website, BAT said the new roles were being established in order to accelerate ‘the implementation of our established and successful strategy’.
It said the director, new categories, who would report directly to the chief marketing officer, would have ‘end-to-end accountability for driving growth, innovation, world-class brand building and consumer insights for our potentially reduced-risk products (PRRPs)’.
The director, digital and information, who would report directly to the CEO, would be responsible for ‘driving digital transformation across the Group and further enhancing our digital consumer experience capabilities’.
Paul Lageweg, currently regional marketing manager, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, will become director, new categories.
Marina Bellini, currently chief information officer, will become director, digital and information.
Tadeu Marroco, currently regional director, Europe and North Africa, will be appointed to the new Management Board role of director, group transformation.
Johan Vandermeulen, currently regional director, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, will succeed Marroco.
Guy Meldrum, currently area director, Australasia area, will be appointed to succeed Vandermeulen.
Hae In Kim, currently group head of talent and organisational effectiveness, will be appointed as director, talent and culture designate on January 1 and will succeed Giovanni Giordano, currently group human resources director, on April 1.
Naresh Sethi, currently group business development director, will leave the company at the end of Q2 2019.