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  • BAT Urges UK Retailers to Respond to Nicotine-Product Consultation

    BAT Urges UK Retailers to Respond to Nicotine-Product Consultation

    British American Tobacco continues to urge UK retailers to respond to the government’s consultation on proposed changes to the packaging, appearance, display, and marketing of tobacco and vape products before it closes Oct. 2. BAT UK and Ireland Commercial Director Tolga Kilic said retailers’ experience should inform the final regulations and urged them to highlight potential operational and financial impacts.

    Kilic cited the government’s impact assessment, which estimates vape retailers could face more than £420 million in cumulative lost profits through 2036 from proposed point-of-sale display restrictions. The consultation also covers product packaging, flavor descriptions, and other measures affecting the sale and presentation of nicotine products.

  • Innovation Requires Regulatory Viability: GTNF 2026

    Innovation Requires Regulatory Viability: GTNF 2026

    Innovation in tobacco and nicotine products is advancing rapidly, but companies must account for regulation, product standards and consumer needs alongside science and technology, speakers said at GTNF 2026 in Lisbon. In her keynote, Eve Wang, executive director at Smoore International, said the industry has moved from introducing new products into a growth phase, while noting the speed at which products can move from concept to commercialization in China. She compared the development process to a Chinese saying: “The journey is half complete when you are 90% of the way there. The last mile is always the hardest.”

    During the subsequent Innovation 360 panel, moderated by Wang, Clio Boura, head of science operations at British American Tobacco, said innovation needs to work closely with science and an enabling regulatory framework that establishes clear quality and safety requirements. She also pointed to portability, convenience, digital technology and sustainability as factors likely to shape products over the next five years. Greg Conley, senior regulatory counsel at ITG Brands, said, “Regulatory viability has to be part of viability from day 1,” arguing that product standards could give companies clearer targets for meeting regulatory requirements. He said the industry’s priority should be the ability to “innovate repeatedly, to keep moving things forward.”

    Yu Kang, head of research institute at Hangsen International, said rapid evolution is central to the e-cigarette industry but that innovation must include consumer protection and supply-chain oversight. He called for more efficient premarket review, collection of product standards across markets and closer cooperation among regulators and innovators, supported by scientific data demonstrating safety and compliance. Kang also emphasized the need to continually collect consumer feedback to develop products that meet quality expectations while supporting harm reduction.

  • BAT Releases 352-Page Omni Update at GTNF 2026

    BAT Releases 352-Page Omni Update at GTNF 2026

    British American Tobacco released a printed 352-page update to its Omni platform, a compendium of scientific research, evidence, and case studies supporting the company’s approach to tobacco harm reduction. Chief Corporate Officer Kingsley Wheaton announced the release at GTNF 2026 in Lisbon, describing Omni as a resource intended to advance discussion among scientists, public health authorities, regulators, policymakers, and investors.

    “Omni is our platform for gathering evidence based around tobacco harm reduction,” Wheaton said. “What we are launching today is a significant update to it, bringing in the latest case studies, the most current scientific research, and the real-world evidence from markets where smoke-free products are already reaching adult smokers at scale.”

    The updated Omni is organized across 10 chapters covering what BAT describes as the key questions facing the company, the science supporting its smokeless products, and the global tobacco harm reduction evidence base developed over the past decade.

    Wheaton said the platform is intended to be more than a conventional corporate publication. “It’s almost easier to say what Omni isn’t instead of what it is,” he said. “It isn’t a book, a report, or a website, although it can look like all three. It’s a manifesto and a mandate. A manifesto to change and a mandate for action, as we worked toward becoming a predominantly smoke-free business.”

    He said the objective is to encourage scrutiny and discussion rather than present a finished position. “The purpose of Omni is not to tell you what to think. It’s to ignite the conversation with stakeholders, a resource built to be scrutinized, challenged, and built upon. Not a closed document but rather an open one. Because if we’re asking regulators and scientists and public health authorities to engage with the evidence on harm reduction, the very least we owe them is to make that evidence physical, current, and rigorous.”

    BAT says Omni is intended to support its broader A Better Tomorrow strategy and its goal of building a “Smokeless World,” in which smokers who would otherwise continue smoking migrate to smokeless alternatives. The company says the resource is designed to allow readers to move between sections according to their interests while examining BAT’s progress, the scientific evidence surrounding smokeless products, and the wider tobacco harm reduction evidence base.

  • BAT Completes CFO Leadership Transition   

    BAT Completes CFO Leadership Transition   

    Dragos Constantinescu officially began his position as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of British American Tobacco today (Sept. 1), according to separate LinkedIn posts by BAT and CEO Tadeu Marroco. The appointment was first announced in April. Constantinescu returns to BAT after previously spending 16 years with the company across senior finance, strategy and general management roles before leaving in 2019, where he most recently served as CEO of Asahi Europe & International.  

    Constantinescu’s return completes BAT’s CFO leadership transition, with interim CFO Javed Iqbal moving to his permanent role as Director, Digital and Information. BAT said Constantinescu’s international experience across the nicotine and broader FMCG sectors, combined with his previous knowledge of the company, will support its ongoing “A Better Tomorrow” transformation, strategic priorities and focus on sustainable growth and shareholder returns.  

  • Reuters: Nicotine Pouches Emerge as Big Tobacco’s Key Growth Bet

    Reuters: Nicotine Pouches Emerge as Big Tobacco’s Key Growth Bet

    Reuters reports that nicotine pouches are attracting increasing investor attention as cigarette sales decline, with rapid volume growth, strong margins and relatively light regulation in many markets making brands such as PMI’s Zyn and BAT’s Velo a major focus for tobacco companies. BAT expects the global pouch market to grow from £4 billion in 2025 to £11 billion by 2030, while pouch volumes in its Asia, Middle East and Africa markets increased 27.5% to about 700 million in the first half of 2026.

    Reuters said the category also offers higher profitability than several competing alternatives. PMI reported that its U.S. oral nicotine business generated eight times the gross profit per 1,000 units of its international cigarette business in 2024, compared with 2.4 times for IQOS heated tobacco. Analysts said pouch performance is increasingly influencing tobacco-company valuations, while the products’ lack of smoke or vapor allows them to be used in locations where other nicotine products may be restricted.

    The story noted that wider adoption remains uncertain, particularly in markets without an established oral nicotine culture. Analysts cited consumer familiarity with inhaled products as a key barrier, while regulators are increasingly scrutinizing youth uptake, marketing and high nicotine strengths. France has banned pouches, while Finland, the EU and Britain are tightening rules. Despite expectations for continued growth, PMI and BAT say no single alternative will replace cigarettes, with diverse portfolios needed to accommodate different consumer preferences.

  • BAT Expands Technology Partnership with ITC Infotech

    BAT Expands Technology Partnership with ITC Infotech

    British American Tobacco (BAT) signed a multi-year strategic technology agreement with ITC Infotech to accelerate the transformation of its technology operations, with a focus on AI-assisted innovation, skills development, and efficiency improvements.

    Under the expanded partnership, ITC Infotech will provide technology services to BAT in Poland, Romania, and India, while continuing to scale capabilities at BAT’s Future Capabilities Centre in India. The company will also support BAT’s technology centers in Malaysia and Mexico.

  • BAT Announces Marketing Board Changes

    BAT Announces Marketing Board Changes

    British American Tobacco announced a series of senior leadership changes, with Chief Marketing Officer Luciano Comin set to retire on Feb. 28, 2027, after a 34-year career with the company. Comin, who has served on the Management Board for eight years, including the past three as CMO, will be succeeded by Pascale Meulemeester, currently regional director for Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA). Meulemeester will become Chief Marketing Officer Designate on Jan. 1, 2027, and assume the role on March 1, 2027.

    The company also appointed Celina Li as regional director designate for APMEA, effective Sept. 1. Li, currently Chief Commercial Officer and general manager, International & Ingredients at Ocean Spray Cranberries, will take over as APMEA Regional Director and join BAT’s management board on Jan. 1, 2027. CEO Tadeu Marroco said the appointments support BAT’s ongoing transformation strategy, highlighting Meulemeester’s brand-building expertise and Li’s international leadership and consumer business experience.

  • BAT Bangladesh Appoints New Managing Director

    BAT Bangladesh Appoints New Managing Director

    British American Tobacco Bangladesh appointed Kakhaber Benidze as managing director, effective May 1, 2026, succeeding Monisha Abraham. A BAT veteran since 2001, Benidze brings more than 25 years of FMCG experience, including senior leadership roles across marketing, supply chain and general management in markets spanning Europe, the Middle East, and the Caucasus. Most recently, he served as general manager of BAT Switzerland and the BAT Austria Cluster.

    BAT Bangladesh said Benidze’s experience in business transformation, portfolio development, and commercial growth positions him to lead the company’s next phase of expansion. Benidze said he aims to build on BAT Bangladesh’s 116-year presence in the country, strengthen business performance, and continue contributing to the national economy.

  • BAT Reports H1 Growth, Raises Confidence in 2026 Outlook

    BAT Reports H1 Growth, Raises Confidence in 2026 Outlook

    British American Tobacco reported H1 2026 revenue of £12.24 billion, up 1.4% on a reported basis and 2.9% at constant currency, with growth led by the U.S. and AME (Americas, Middle East, and Africa). New Categories revenue increased 18% at constant currency to £1.93 billion, driven by Modern Oral and a return to double-digit growth in U.S. Vapor. Smokeless products reached 35 million consumers and accounted for 19.8% of group revenue, while New Category contribution rose 54.7% to £257 million.

    U.S. revenue increased 8.5%, including 58.1% growth in New Categories, while AME revenue rose 0.9% and APMEA declined 6.3%. Modern Oral revenue grew 65.9%, extending BAT’s leadership with a 39.2% volume share in its top markets. Combustibles revenue increased 2.1%, helping fund the company’s transformation. Adjusted diluted EPS rose 7.9% on a Canada-adjusted constant-currency basis, while adjusted operating profit increased 3.5%.

    BAT expects full-year adjusted diluted EPS growth toward the middle of its 5%-8% guidance range and plans to roll out Velo Max nationally and selected adult-focused Vuse flavors in the U.S. during H2.

  • BAT Faces Expanded Class-Action Claims over Natural American Spirit

    BAT Faces Expanded Class-Action Claims over Natural American Spirit

    A divided federal appeals court revived class-action claims against British American Tobacco, Reynolds American, R.J. Reynolds, and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco over allegations that labels on Natural American Spirit cigarettes misled consumers into believing the products were safer than other cigarettes and contained no additives. Yesterday (July 29), the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s refusal to certify the 12-state “safer cigarette” class while upholding certification of a separate eight-state class alleging that menthol constituted an additive.

    The case covers consumers in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Washington. The appeals court said the lower court prematurely addressed whether the products’ disclaimer — stating that the absence of additives “does NOT mean a safer cigarette” — was effective. A dissenting judge argued neither class should have been certified and warned that the decision could allow consumers who never read the labels to seek damages. The case returns to the lower court for further proceedings.