British American Tobacco - British American Tobacco

Dr James Murphy

Director, Research and Science

I was delighted to take on the role of Director, Research and Science on 1 March 2023, having joined the Management Board on 1 February 2023 as Director, Research and Science Designate.

As you might imagine, science has always been a passion of mine. I joined BAT in 2005 after completing Postdoctoral studies on building drug delivery vehicles using Synthetic Organic Polymer Chemistry at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan.

I’ve held a range of senior roles since 2005, most recently as Executive Vice President, U.S. Scientific Research & Development, based at the headquarters of our U.S. business. I was particularly proud to oversee the granting of our first vapour product marketing orders from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for three of our Vuse vapour products. This was a huge milestone for BAT and our harm reduction journey towards A Better Tomorrow™.

Prior to that role, I was Group Head of Potentially Reduced Risk Product (PRRP) Science and Regional Product Manager for the Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa. This global experience has been vital in terms of understanding the New Categories landscape as we expand the reach of our reduced-risk*† products around the world.

I am particularly passionate about amplifying BAT’s A Better Tomorrow™ story and have led on our global scientific engagement with the media, regulators and the external scientific community. As such, I’ve presented at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington DC and delivered keynote speeches and moderated panels at key industry events, including the Global Forum on Nicotine.

I’m proud to have been part of BAT’s New Categories journey since day one, having been the product development lead for the first Vype (predecessor to Vuse) vapour launches in 2013–2014. As BAT’s Head of Reduced Risk Substantiation, I created and published the Group’s nine-step scientific assessment framework to assess the risk profile of our New Category products relative to smoking. I also previously led the scientific assessment of glo, Vuse and Velo to understand their relative risk potential.

A Better Tomorrow™

It means absolutely everything to me. It is why I joined BAT around 20-years ago and it is why I come in to work every day and give my all – there is no place I would rather be, contributing to tobacco harm reduction on a global scale.

I am so excited to be part of our transformation. It is a difficult path that we are treading as an organisation and it will take time, but the progress we have made and will continue to make should make us all feel both proud of our achievements but also inspired and hungry to continue pushing to the next stage on our journey.

Nationality: Irish

Career to date

2005: Joins BAT in the UK, working in Market Research & Development
2007: Takes up role as Scientist in Scientific Solutions team
2007: Becomes Principal Development Manager
2009: Moves to become Reduced Toxicant Prototype Project Manager
2012: New role as Senior Innovations Manager
2012: Becomes Development Manager, Alternative Nicotine Products
2013: Promoted to role of Head of Product Development
2014: Appointed as Head of Biosciences
2019: Takes up role of Regional Product Manager, based between UK and Brazil
2020: Becomes Group Head of PRRP Science
2020: Moves to the U.S. as EVP, U.S. Scientific Research & Development
2023 :Joins the Management Board as Director, Research and Science Designate before becoming Director, Research and Science on 1 March

Education

BSc (Hons) in Chemistry at the Queen’s University of Belfast
PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry and Polymer Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh
Postdoctoral Studies in Sugar Based Synthetic Organic Chemistry Polymer Chemistry, at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan

Personal interests:

My personal interests are mainly for the body and mind, including circuit training, reading and walking my dog. As family, we love to travel and go skiing and swimming together, while home improvement, cooking and gardening would be the at-home-activities I enjoy. I wind down and relax watching sports like rugby and Gaelic Games as well as socialising with friends.

* Based on the weight of evidence and assuming a complete switch from cigarette smoking. These products are not risk free and are addictive.
† Our products as sold in the US, including Vuse, Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, and Camel Snus, are subject to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation and no reduced-risk claims will be made as to these products without FDA clearance.