The chief marketing officer of British American Tobacco, Andrew Gray, is to step down from the firm’s management board at the end of December.
Gray, who started his 32-year career with the group at its Brazilian subsidiary, Souza Cruz, will leave the group on 31 March 2019.
His forthcoming departure follows the recent announcement that Nicandro Durante, BAT’s chief executive, is also set to leave the tobacco-maker.
During his time with the company, Gray also headed up the group’s Malaysian operations, and he was regional director for both its Africa & Middle East and Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa divisions.
New Role
Gray will be replaced in the role by Kingsley Wheaton, currently regional director for Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa (AMSSA).
Wheaton will commence his new role on 1 January 2019.
Commenting on Gray’s departure, outgoing CEO Nicandro Durante commented, “I would like to thank Andrew for his outstanding leadership and service to BAT over his highly successful 32-year career. We will miss his calm demeanour, his strategic thinking, and his considerable experience of our business.
“The evolution of our marketing strategy under his leadership will benefit the group for many years to come. On behalf of the entire organisation, I would like to wish him all the very best for the future,” added Durante.
Marketing Knowledge
Durante also praised Gray’s successor’s experience, saying that Wheaton “brings an enormous amount of marketing knowledge and passion to this role.
“At this transformative time for our company, his experience of running and growing our potentially reduced-risk products business will be particularly important for the future growth of the business under Jack Bowles, my successor as CEO,” he added.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
