British American Tobacco - British American Tobacco

Jerome Abelman

Director, Legal and General Counsel

I was appointed Director, Legal and General Counsel in September 2023. I joined the Management Board as Group Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Director in January 2015 and was then appointed Director, General Counsel and Legal and External Affairs (LEX) in May of the same year.

In my role, I work with my leadership team to identify the strategic priorities which managers should consider depending on their local environment – across areas including legal, compliance and regulation – in order to support the delivery of the Group strategy.

My top priority has been and remains our ‘Delivery with Integrity’ programme. This programme, led by the Business Conduct and Compliance team and embraced by all of BAT, is about ensuring that everyone across the Group, as well as our partners, recognises that they are responsible for working to the highest standards of corporate conduct and ethical values at all times, everywhere we operate – all of which is part of BAT’s Ethos. My team is also greatly focused on the area of regulation of New Categories, where we support balanced regulation based on scientific and other evidence to achieve robust product standards and responsible marketing practices while at the same time preventing under-age access.

I grew up in New York and I’m a member of the Bar of both New York and the District of Columbia. My first experience with BAT was when I was on secondment from a New York City law firm to London in 2001. Little did I know I’d still be with the company all these years later! I joined BAT full-time in 2002 and became General Counsel for the Australasian group of companies, based in Sydney.

A Better Tomorrow™

Our A Better Tomorrow™ vision is about much more than our products. It’s about having a balanced mindset. We must continue to excel in combustibles and use the benefit of that excellence by investing in a part of the business that we think will continue to grow into the future.

One of the things that enticed me to BAT was the company’s diversity – of people, backgrounds, cultures and geographies. That diversity remains one of the great things about working here and is our greatest strength as a business.

Nationality: American

Career to date

2002: Joins BAT and moves to Sydney, Australia as Area General Counsel, Australasia
2005: Returns to London, as Assistant General Counsel, Head of Global Regulation Counselling. Focus was on working with Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, Group R&D and Marketing
2010: Moves to Hong Kong as Regional General Counsel for BAT’s Asia-Pacific region
2014: Moves back to London, taking up the role of Assistant General Counsel, Head of Corporate and Commercial Legal. Focus was on counselling M&A, IP, marketing, employment and IT
2015: Becomes Director, Legal and External Affairs and General Counsel, having joined the Management Board as Group Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Director in January 2015
2023: Appointed Director, Legal and General Counsel

Education

BA in History from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
Juris Doctor cum laude from the Pace University School of Law in New York

Personal interests

Keeping fit keeps me focused and I train every morning. I enjoy competitions and have entered a number of indoor rowing competitions, including the British Indoor Rowing Championships. I also enjoy CrossFit and Hyrox, a relatively new competition. Dogs are a big part of our family life, and my wife, daughters and I have been lucky enough to have a German Shepard and Bernese Mountain Dog as part of our family.