British American Tobacco - British American Tobacco

Michael Dijanosic

Regional Director, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa

I began my career with BAT Australia in 1999 as a Management Trainee and since then have witnessed first-hand the transformation our company and industry have gone through. Looking back at BAT when I first joined and looking at BAT now, we have come a long way, and I’m very proud to be part of that journey.

In the past two decades, I have held a number of senior leadership roles across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East region. I know this region well, having worked in a variety of markets here, both big and small. I first joined the BAT Management Board as Regional Director, Asia-Pacific and Middle East in September 2020. From April 2023 onwards, I am honoured and excited to be leading this diverse region of Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA) as its Regional Director.

My experiences working across the region have provided me with significant fulfilment and inspirations, both from a career perspective and personally. The APMEA region is a melting pot of fantastic cultures, inspiring people and immense opportunity. It never seems to sleep and always manages to surprise. I am excited to be leading our business in the region, which needs to remain at the forefront of the Group's transformation, continually striving to do things simpler and smarter, empowering and inspiring each other, and delivering results.

As a leader I try to transform myself first to inspire others. I always remind myself and those around me that we need to transform ourselves first, in order to transform our teams, which will eventually transform BAT.

In APMEA, we celebrate the wins and the reds at the same time, so we learn quickly from each other to deliver faster. We work hard, but have a lot of fun along the way, too – driving connectivity as one APMEA team. Positive energy, persistence and resilience are the cornerstones to my approach to leading teams.

Ever since I’ve been with BAT, it’s been a place that has continually evolved and transformed itself. What sets us apart is the people and the culture. Everyone is striving to deliver, and that boldness means you can’t help but be inspired by those around you.

A Better Tomorrow™

As we move forward with our transformation agenda, I know that the future we are creating will be remarkable and I know that all those involved will be proud of the legacy that we will be handing over to future generations.

In APMEA, we are excited about the crucial role we are playing in helpingtowards our Group’s ambition to build A Better Tomorrow™. With our strong APMEA team driving the seat, I have full confidence that we will accelerate our transformation even faster.

Nationality: Australian

Career to date

1999: Joins BAT Australia as a Management Trainee
2001: Experiences various roles in Operations, IT, running strategic programmes and projects
2007: Appointed General Manager, BAT Papua New Guinea
2010: Becomes General Manager, BAT Cambodia
2012: Promoted to Regional Manager, Asia-Pacific
2015: Appointed General Manager BATUKE & Regional Manager Asia-Pacific and Middle East
2020: Becomes Area Director for Asia-Pacific and Global Travel Retail
2020: Joins the Management Board as Regional Director, Asia-Pacific and Middle East
2023: Appointed as Regional Director, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa.

Education

Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Australia
Supply Chain Excellence Programme, Cranfield School of Management, UK
Senior Executive Management Programme, IMD Business School, Switzerland

Personal interests

It is great to be able to spend time travelling across the world and regularly experience many varied countries and cultures. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, swimming and spending time with family and friends from across the world.