Fabio de Petris Appointed CEO of BAT Italia

According to reports from Italian media, Fabio de Petris has been appointed as the new CEO of British American Tobacco Italy (BAT Italia), while Alessandro Bertolini will assume the position of company president at the same time.

Fabio De Petris, a 50-year-old native of Naples, holds a key position at BAT Italia. He graduated from the University of Naples Federico II with a degree in economics and joined BAT in 2011. Prior to his current role, he held positions as a trade marketing and distribution area manager in central Italy, gaining extensive experience in the fast-moving consumer goods industry through his previous employment at companies such as Colgate-Palmolive and SABMiller.

Fabio De Petris previously held the position of Sales Director at BAT Italia and Senior International Brand Manager at Lucky Strike & Rothmans. In September 2018, he was appointed as the Market Director for BAT Turkey, Caucasus, and North Africa cluster, and later became the Country Manager for Italy in December 2019, a position he currently holds.

Fabio De Petris expressed his pride in being able to continue the work of his predecessor and contribute to the development of the Trieste Innovation Center, which is a production center for potential low-risk products and the BAT Digital Transformation Innovation Lab.

According to reports, the production factory was completed on June 23 in San Dorligo Della Valle, near Trieste, and is dedicated to producing a new category of low-risk products. BAT plans to invest up to 500 million euros in the next five years and is expected to create approximately 2,700 direct and indirect job positions. In 2022 alone, the company has invested 30 million euros to purchase 7,000 tons of high-quality Italian tobacco, supporting 400 companies and 6,000 employees.

The company stated, "Under his leadership, BAT Italia will continue to pursue a strategy of 'a better tomorrow,' reducing its impact on health and the environment, and striving to create a better, more environmentally friendly, fair, innovative, and inclusive future for its employees, shareholders, consumers, and the local community." "This appointment strengthens the company's position as an Italian-based but internationally-minded corporation.

Alexandro Bertolini has been appointed as the president of BAT Italia, and will co-lead the company alongside Fabio De Petris. He holds a law degree from the University of Bologna and a Master's in Law from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University in the United States. Bertolini joined BAT Italia in 2011 as the head of legal affairs, after serving as a senior legal advisor for Italian multinational companies including Fata Group, Piaggio, and Tecnimont for 20 years. Prior to his appointment as president, he served as the head of legal affairs and external relations, as well as the vice president of BAT Italia. The governance structure of BAT Trieste has also been modified and integrated, with Andrea Di Paolo assuming the role of president and Alberto Prudente as the new CEO.

Reference: 

[1] BAT Italia: Fabio de Petris è il nuovo Ad. Alessandro Bertolini presidente