Luciano Comin

It was a great honour to be appointed as Marketing Director, Combustibles & New Categories on 1 July 2023. My role plays a critical part in the Group’s transformation journey – to drive a step change in New Categories by building strong global brands, while generating value through combustibles to fuel the growth of New Categories.

Prior to this I was Director, Combustibles, and before that, Regional Director, Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa (AmSSA) – my first Management Board position. This came after I’d had roles including Marketing Director in Venezuela and General Manager of BAT Mexico. I was also Regional Head of Marketing for Western Europe and then, before joining the Board, Regional Head of Marketing for AmSSA.

It may sound like a bit of a cliché, but BAT is like a family and anywhere you go with the company, be it Colombia, Malaysia, Nigeria or elsewhere, the people share a common culture.

The diversity of experience I’ve had includes leading BAT businesses in countries where we have been very successful and some others where we have faced some tough challenges, such as reducing illicit trade which is a priority across the region.

This experience has definitely helped to make me a better leader because you become more flexible and learn how to adapt your leadership to the requirements of the environment that you find yourself in.

I’m a big believer in freedom through responsibility – one of BAT’s core values. It’s important to have a team around you that you trust and, while giving clear direction, you also empower people by giving them the necessary freedom and space to deliver.