BAT Appoints CFO

Soraya Benchikh has been appointed to the role of chief financial officer and executive director at BAT. She will join the boards from May 1, 2024, succeeding Javed Iqbal, who will continue to serve as interim finance director until April 30, 2024.

Benchikh has been president of Europe at Diageo since January 2023, having joined Diageo in July 2020 as managing director for Northern Europe. Benchikh previously spent 20 years at BAT, where she served as president of BAT France, area director for East and Southern Africa and regional finance director for Europe. Earlier in her career, Benchikh worked in finance roles at General Electric and Gillette.

“I am pleased to welcome Soraya as chief financial officer and to the board,” said BAT chair Luc Jobin in a statement. “She brings a wealth of leadership experience and commercial acumen from across both finance and commercial roles. Soraya’s excellent track record in different geographies and in-depth understanding of the sector make her ideally suited for the role.”

“I am delighted to welcome Soraya to the management board as our new chief financial officer,” said BAT CEO Tadeu Marroco. “Her extensive senior leadership and financial experience from a range of international fast-moving consumer goods companies represents a great addition to our leadership team. I am grateful to Javed for his continued contribution as interim finance director in addition to his ongoing role as director, digital and information.

“Following the recent appointment of Dr. Cora Koppe-Stahrenberg as chief people officer, Soraya’s appointment is also a further important step toward building a modern organization. I very much look forward to working with Soraya as we continue our transformation.”

“I am excited to rejoin the leadership of BAT as chief financial officer and executive director and share their passion for the transformation strategy,” said Benchikh. “I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues, the leadership team, Tadeu and the board and leverage my recent experience within broader FMCG to provide an external lens and support their efforts to accelerate BAT’s strategy to build ‘A Better Tomorrow.’”