Category: People

BAT Appoints Sustainability Officer

Photo: BAT
BAT has appointed Mike Nightingale as its first chief sustainability officer to lead the company’s sustainability and ESG agenda.
Nightingale has been the group head of investor relations for the past 10 years. Prior to that, he held senior leadership positions in sustainability, regulation and marketing.
Additionally, to reflect BAT’s corporate intent and the increasing strategic importance of both ESG and sustainability for the group, the role of Kingsley Wheaton as chief marketing officer with responsibility for corporate affairs, will be redesignated as chief growth officer.
Beyond overseeing the marketing efforts to drive value from combustibles while ensuring a step-change in New Categories performance, Kingsley has also led the initiatives to place ESG front and center of the group’s strategy.
Nightingale will report to Kingsley in his new role as chief sustainability officer with effect from Sept. 1.
Victoria Buxton, senior investor relations manager, will be promoted to the role of group head of investor relations and will report to Finance and Transformation Director Tadeu Marroco, also with effect from Sept. 1.
“I am delighted that Mike has been appointed as our first chief sustainability officer,” said BAT CEO Jack Bowles in a statement. “Mike will lead us into a new era of sustainability ‘thought leadership.’ With his extensive experience of the business, most recently as group head of investor relations, he is uniquely suited to this challenge.
“Likewise, Victoria has an excellent track record, both as a consumer sector equity analyst and, more recently, as a senior member of Mike’s team. Her promotion is testament to her energy, commitment and drive.”
August 30, 2022
Keating to lead Imperial’s U.K./Ireland Corporate Affairs

Photo: Casimirokt | Dreamstime.com
Imperial Tobacco has appointed Lindsay Mennell Keating as head of corporate and legal affairs for the U.K. and Ireland, reports Talking Retail.
Previously, Keating held the positions of head of corporate affairs EU and senior government affairs manager at Imperial Tobacco. Prior to joining the business in 2014, she worked as a public affairs and communications consultant in Brussels.
“I am delighted to be heading up the corporate and legal affairs team at Imperial Tobacco and welcome the opportunity to work closely with our trade partners as the tobacco and next-generation categories continue to evolve,” said Keating.
“The government’s forthcoming Tobacco Control Plan will present a period of regulatory change, and I look forward to building on our existing networks to ensure our customers are in a strong position to successfully manage these changes.”
August 22, 2022
Respira Appoints Brian Quigley as CEO

Photo: jirsak
Respira Technologies as appointed former Altria Group executive and current Respira COO Brian Quigley as its new CEO. Respira’s founder, Mario Danek, will transition to the role of chief technology officer.
Quigley spent 16 years at Altria Group, with seven years as president and CEO at Altria’s smokeless and innovative products/vapor businesses. Quigley has been an active investor in both the cannabis and alcohol spaces and sits on the boards of Mustgrow Biologics and Belle Isle Craft Spirits.
With Respira in the midst of securing financing for clinical trials, Danek made a significant change to the structure of the company’s leadership team. Quigley’s background as a successful business leader and Fortune 150 CEO in the space will help drive Respira to its next phase as it advances to an investigational new drug submission to begin human clinical trials. This transition will enable Danek to focus on the technology behind Respira, concentrating on inventing and refining its innovative inhalation device across multiple potential indication areas and target markets.
Respira is a California venture-backed health tech company focused on commercializing proprietary inhalation device technologies to improve patient outcomes. The company is currently engaged with U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to pursue a combination product authorization as the first inhalable prescription smoking cessation therapy.
August 18, 2022
Delnevo to Chair TPSAC

Photo: Rutgers
Cristine Delnevo has been appointed chairperson of U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC).
Delnevo is the director of the Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies and a professor of health behavior, society and policy at the Rutgers School of Public Health. She was appointed to serve on the TPSAC in March 2021. Her appointment as chair will run through Jan. 31, 2025.
Established in 2009, TPSAC reviews and evaluates safety, dependence and health issues related to tobacco products and provides advice, information and recommendations to the FDA’s commissioner. The FDA commissioner selects the committee members from among people with expertise in medicine, medical ethics, science or technology involving the manufacture, evaluation or use of tobacco products.
“I have valued the importance of this FDA advisory committee since the signing of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act in 2009,” said Delnevo in a press note published by Rutgers. “This advisory committee plays an important role in several ways, perhaps most notably on the review of modified risk tobacco product applications, as required under the Tobacco Control Act.
“I value the service of Dr. Jonathan Samet and Dr. Robin Mermelstein who served admirably before me as chair, and I look forward to working with an esteemed group of colleagues to help the FDA make regulatory decisions to protect public health and reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality.”
Delnevo’s expertise spans population-level tobacco behavior trends—particularly non-cigarette tobacco products like cigars and e-cigarettes—tobacco control policy and regulation, and survey methods research.
In 2022, she received the John Slade Award from the international Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco for outstanding contributions to public health and tobacco control through science-based public policy and public advocacy. Her work has been extensively cited in two FDA proposed rules that would ban menthol in cigarettes and characterizing flavors in cigars and she recently served as an external peer reviewer on the FDA’s Scientific Assessment of Impact of Menthol in Cigarettes.
In addition, she served as a committee member on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report on the Health Effects and Patterns of Use of Premium Cigars.
Delnevo co-leads one of nine Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science and has published extensively on tobacco-use behavior patterns. She has authored more than 250 scientific articles, reports and book chapters and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for the journal Tobacco Control.
“We are excited that an RBHS faculty member was selected to be a member, and indeed the leader, of an important committee like TPSAC,” said Brian Strom, chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. “I am confident that Dr. Delnevo will bring to this role her passion, commitment, and leadership skills, which she has already exhibited at the Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies, and will help FDA make decisions for the country that will help save lives.”
August 9, 2022
Vaping Advocate Greg Conley Joins the AVM
Greg Conley
Longtime vaping industry advocate Gregory Conley is joining the American Vapor Manufacturers Association (AVM) as director of legislative and external affairs.
Under the direction of AVM President Amanda Wheeler, Conley will focus on government and media relations, while helping advance public policy supporting the American vaping product industry in its fight for survival.
“Over the last decade-plus, myself and millions of American adults have given up cigarettes because of vaping,” said Conley. “During that time, I have been proud to advocate for vaping from the perspective of a consumer and harm reductionist. In this new role at AVM, I will continue to push for appropriate regulations to ensure that American businesses are not replaced with a multibillion-dollar illicit market.”
“Gregory is a critical voice for vaping and understands adult smokers and ex-smokers face dire circumstances because of the FDA,” said Wheeler. “One billionaire is pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns designed to end the vaping industry. The stakes have never been greater and I am thrilled to have him aboard to work towards a unified industry.”
Conley has a long history of advocacy for vaping products and tobacco harm reduction, dating back to 2010. While receiving a la and business degree from Rutgers University, Conley served as the pro bono legislative director for the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association.
Conley then founded the American Vaping Association (AVA), and during his time there he testified before dozens of state legislative bodies, appeared on numerous news networks, and participated in a White House listening session with then-President Donald Trump.
Conley plans to continue working with AVA as it charts a new path forward focusing on voter education and outreach.
July 29, 2022
Dettelbach Confirmed as ATF Director
Credit: ATF
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted to confirm Steve Dettelbach to serve as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Dettelbach, 56, was confirmed by a 48-46 vote that went largely along party lines.
“Following the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, today’s vote is another important sign that both parties can come together to support law enforcement and stand up against the horrific scourge of gun violence,” President Joe Biden said in a statement following the vote.
Prior to landing the job as the head of the ATF, Dettelbach worked as a federal prosecutor for the Justice Department – the ATF’s parent agency.
“Steve understands the importance and urgency of ATF’s mission and I am confident he will lead ATF with integrity, dedication and skill,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
Tuesday’s vote marked the first time the Senate has confirmed an ATF director since 2013.
July 13, 2022
Gwinner Named Consumer Goods Tech CIO of the Year

Photo: RAI
Aaron Gwinner, chief information officer and senior vice president of digital business solutions for the Reynolds group of companies, has won the 2022 Consumer Goods Technology (CGT) CIO of the Year Award.
The CIO of the Year Award recognizes a consumer goods company’s senior-most technology leader who has made a significant impact through the implementation and utilization of successful technology.
Those who nominated Gwinner applaud his success in driving transformation within the organization and, in turn, developing a strong company culture.
“Aaron has been a driving force behind the creation of new capabilities that allow us to operate a stronger, faster and simpler organization,” said Reynolds CEO Guy Meldrum in a statement. “His exceptional leadership continues to accelerate the transformation of our business. All of us at Reynolds congratulate him on this outstanding achievement.”
Since joining Reynolds in 2019, Gwinner’s impact has been substantial, with notable accomplishments including launching a new e-commerce platform that improved e-commerce growth and enhanced mobile website performance by 500 percent. Gwinner attributed these successes, among others, to his team of more than 400 professionals for the excellent work they do every day.
Additionally, his team established a hub in Silicon Valley to partner on new technology innovations, replaced all aging marketing platforms and websites while migrating 80 percent of the company data to the cloud, and built a new data science and e-commerce team that increased mobile conversion by 35 percent while delivering $200 million in benefits from data analytics.
“It is an honor to receive CGT’s CIO of the Year award and a testament to our remarkable teams at the helm of our digital transformation,” said Aaron Gwinner. “They’re the ones who do the work. My job is to set a clear vision, get the roadblocks out of their way and empower them to deliver. When they deliver, and we get recognized for it, I think it’s a great endorsement of my team and the fantastic work they’ve done. Thank you to CGT and all those who submitted nominations for this extraordinary recognition.”
July 6, 2022
Leadership Changes at Kaival

Photo: Nirajkumar Patel
(Photo: Kaival Brands Innovations Group)
Kaival Brands Innovations Group Founder and CEO Nirajkumar Patel will transition to chief science and regulatory officer. Eric Mosser, the company’s current chief operating officer, will become president and remain COO. Mosser will serve as the company’s principal executive officer for purposes of its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Patel will remain on the board of directors for Kaival Brands.
The management changes follow the company’s recently announced international licensing agreement with Philip Morris Products (PMP) on June 13, 2022.
The agreement grants to PMP a license of certain intellectual property rights relating to Bidi Vapor’s premium electronic nicotine delivery system (END”) device, the Bidi Stick, in the U.S., as well as potentially newly developed devices, to permit PMP to manufacture, promote, sell and distribute such ENDS device and newly developed devices, in markets outside of the U.S.
Eric Mosser
“What Mr. Patel has accomplished, from initial concept to an international distribution agreement with Philip Morris is extraordinary,” said Mosser in a statement. “With unwavering belief and integrity, he established himself as a true visionary within the vaping category.
Mr. Patel has been both inventor and salesman, developing a product and everything that goes around it to make it successful. We have grown from a no-name brand to the No. 1-selling self-contained disposable ENDS device in the U.S based on the Nielsen retail sales data for the 52-week period ending June 4, 2022, according to a recent Goldman Sachs’ Equity Research Report.”
The transition will allow Patel to focus on developing new products and expanding the Bidi Vapor product portfolio, which is directly related to the new agreement with PMP, and allow Mosser to focus on expanding sales distribution channels and increasing the revenues and profits of Kaival Brand.
“My passion for the business is in creating, designing and delivering new products for adult tobacco users to the market,” said Patel. “Mr. Mosser understands the core values, mission and goals of the Company, and I am confident he will take Kaival Brands to new levels.”
The management changes are effective immediately, with roles and responsibilities to transfer over the coming weeks.
June 27, 2022
Greenbutts Taps Luis Sanches as Chief Strategy Officer

Luis Sanches (Photo courtersy of Greenbutts)
Greenbutts, a company that specializes in biodegradable filter technology, has appointed tobacco veteran Luis Sanches as chief strategy officer.
Sanches is a senior corporate executive with more than 30 years of international, cross-functional and cross-cultural experience responsible for managing business teams, supporting growth and leading transformations across multiple geographies such as Australasia, North and South America and Europe.
He was previously the senior vice president of R&D for Reynolds American Inc., a subsidiary of British American Tobacco. His corporate tenure under BAT spanned 31 years in total, including the position of group head of product development in the United Kingdom and vice president of Kentucky BioProcessing KBP, a leader in developing and employing cGMP processes to manufacture recombinant proteins using novel plant-based technology. He successfully led the development of novelty scientific knowledge and multi-category consumer lead product innovations.
“Never before in history have industry and humanity at large shared such a commitment to understand and urgently address matters that negatively impact the sustainability of our planet and, ultimately, our lives,” said Sanches in a statement.
“Greenbutts is pioneering solutions that will allow business partners to focus on their growth strategy and deliver their product innovation pipeline while materially advancing their ESG agendas. I am proud to join the Greenbutts team and am committed with them ‘to give every fiber of our being’ to offering meaningful sustainable solutions to our partners.”
“We are delighted to have an executive of Mr. Sanches’ caliber and industry presence, knowledge and experience join our already accomplished team,” said Tadas Lisauskas, founder and CEO of Greenbutts.
“For the past 11 years, Greenbutts has been focused on developing a viable alternative to cellulose acetate filters for the global cigarette industry, through extensive R&D and cross-continental partners. While we have had much success in achieving this goal; patenting our technology, continuously adding intellectual property to our portfolio and validating business cases on a global stage, the addition of Luis Sanches to the team is an opportunity to reintroduce ourselves to the global cigarette industry and assist in their efforts to make the inevitable transition to a zero-plastic alternative as seamless as possible,” said Tadas.
Sanches will oversee the company’s global expansion strategy regarding material and filter production. In addition, Sanches will work on optimizing the company’s filter manufacturing process to meet the regulatory needs and customer specifications.
June 23, 2022
Taat Appoints Michael Saxon as CEO

Michael Saxon (Photo: Taat Global Alternatives)
Taat Global Alternatives has appointed tobacco industry veteran Michael Saxon as CEO and member of its board of directors. Former CEO Setti Coscarella will remain available to the company as an advisor. Saxon has been on the Taat Advisory Board since late 2020.
Saxon is an accomplished consumer products executive with more than 25 years of experience growing Fortune 100 businesses in the United States, Europe and Asia. He has influenced government policy and led business units while operating in different regulatory systems.
Saxon served in various positions for over 20 years with Altria Group and Philip Morris International. Most recently, he helped create Trolley Ventures, a Richmond, Virginia, USA, venture capital firm investing in early-stage start-ups.
“I’m excited to be joining the Taat team,” said Saxon in a statement. “This is an exhilarating time in our industry, and Taat is positioned to be a disruptor. With about 18 months of actual market and consumer feedback, I believe Taat is in an ideal position to accelerate its commercialization efforts.
“This will include focusing our efforts on the large and profitable USA market, while our product development team leverages their capabilities to develop other Beyond Tobacco products that can further disrupt the USA and other international markets. There is a tremendous market opportunity for the company, and I am eager to launch new initiatives to accelerate adult consumer adoption of Taat.”
“It has been my pleasure to lead Taat through our initial years and through the pandemic. At this point, I am satisfied the company is in an excellent position to hand direction over to Mr. Saxon, and I am pleased to be continuing my participation as an Advisor,” said Coscarella.
June 21, 2022