British American Tobacco - British American Tobacco

Javed Iqbal

Director, Digital and Information

I am honoured to be part of the Management Board as Director, Digital and Information and excited to lead the next phase of BAT’s digital transformation.

I joined BAT as a Management Trainee in 1996 and have held several roles across the BAT world – most recently as the Area Director for Middle East, South Asia and North Africa. Having worked in many multicultural environments, characterised by dynamic operating models, I am well-placed to lead strategic change across geographies, including systems and process transformation. My forte is developing high-performing teams and delivering commercial results, which is a focus in this role as well.

I am inspired by leadership styles that resonate best with my personality: to be people-focused, live the values you aspire to, and ensure long-term sustainability. I encourage my teams to break barriers and encourage innovative thinking. This will allow us to unlock commercial value by embedding digitally-agile ways of working.

What fascinated me when I joined BAT was the company’s international footprint and truly multicultural working environment. This remains true today, as does the shared belief to deliver with integrity – allied to the authenticity of our ambition to build A Better Tomorrow™.

I truly cherish the people I have met through BAT over the years. My family and I have travelled a lot with my work and no matter where you are, you make friends and connect with people who become friends for life.

A Better Tomorrow™

These are exciting times for our business, and I am passionate about our clear purpose to build A Better Tomorrow™ for our consumers, employees, shareholders, and society.

By living our ethos, we are well-positioned, and well on the way, to becoming a truly global, consumer centric, multi-category business.

Our people are our strength and we have the infrastructure and the talent to accelerate our transformation journey.

Nationality: Pakistani

Career to date

1996: Joins Pakistan Tobacco Company as a Management Trainee, Finance. Rises to become Senior Commercial Finance Manager
2005: Moves to BAT Korea as Finance Controller
2009: Appointed at as Finance Manager, Marketing, based at BAT’s global headquarters in London, UK
2011: Joins BAT Switzerland as Finance Director
2014: Returns to Pakistan as Director for Finance & IDT for South Asia Cluster
2016: Becomes Managing Director/CEO for PTC and Area Director of the South Asia Area (later South Asia Cluster)
2019: Appointed as Area Director for Middle East & South Asia (Middle East, South Asia and North Africa as of 1st Jan 2022)
April 2022: Joins BAT’s Management Board as Director, Digital and Information

Education

MBA in Finance & Management Information Systems - Bahauddin Zakariya University, Pakistan
Post graduate diploma in System Analysis & Design - Bahauddin Zakariya University, Pakistan

Personal interests

I am married and a proud father of four; a daughter and three sons. I am blessed to have a very supportive life-partner, who inspires me to be a better version of myself every day. Other than spending time with my family, I enjoy literature and Netflix, and have a passion for landscape photography – something my friends following me on social media can vouch for!