British American Tobacco - British American Tobacco

David Waterfield

President and CEO, Reynolds American Inc.

It was an enormous privilege to be invited to join the Management Board as President and CEO of Reynolds American Inc. in July 2023.

Prior to joining the Board, I was the Area Director for Western Europe; A truly rewarding experience and opportunity to lead some of the most exciting and dynamic New Category growth markets in the world.

I started my career in BAT in 1998 as a Brand Manager in Dubai, recruited by Rothmans of Pall Mall International and enjoyed the constant opportunities to learn and accelerate through the marketing experience curve.

By 2004 I was Marketing Director - Hungary, where I was then promoted to my first market leadership role as General Manager. This was followed by the General Manager role in Romania in 2008. Those roles gave me great insights into leading and growing some of the Group’s most successful businesses.

I then held multiple global leadership roles, from Regional Marketing Manager in 2012 to Head of the International Brand Group until 2018. In these roles I learned that every market situation or marketing growth challenge, however daunting it felt at the time, was an opportunity to grow and to respond positively to change.

The great thing about BAT, from my experience, is that the company provides literally a world of opportunity to develop as a leader – a leader that can inspire teams and strive for excellence.

As President and CEO of Reynolds American Inc., my priorities are to drive the commercial success in the Group’s most critical market, while also ensuring a focus on talent development to help build A Better Tomorrow™.

A Better Tomorrow™

It is an exciting time to be part of BAT as we transform to build A Better Tomorrow™ for all of our stakeholders.

Reynolds American Inc. plays a significant role in building A Better Tomorrow™, not only through our New Category products, but also through our commitment to the ESG and sustainability agenda.

I have confidence that the strategy we have in place will ensure the commercial success of the business and lead us to a brighter future.

Nationality: British

Career to date

1998: Joined Rothmans of Pall Mall International in Dubai, UAE as Brand Manager
1999: BAT Acquires Rothmans. Promoted to Group Brand Manager, Middle East
2001: Joined BAT America Pacific Region as International Brand Manager
2004: Marketing Director BAT Hungary, Budapest
2006: General Manager BAT Hungary, Budapest
2008: General Manager BAT Romania and South East Europe Area, Bucharest
2012: Regional Marketing Manager, Eastern Europe & Middle East Area
2014: Head of International Brand Group (IBG)
2019: Area Director North & Western Europe Area
2023: President and CEO of Reynolds American Inc.

Education

BA Hons - Faculty of Geography, Royal Holloway, London University

Personal interests

I’m married with two teenage children. I rowed competitively for London University and enjoy skiing and mountaineering – although I’ve taken a ‘temporary’ break from the latter while the children grow up. Motor racing is an interest for the whole family, especially Formula One and Le Mans. Also, international test rugby remains a big event which brings the wider family together.