Key Points:
·High-level departure: Jerome Abelman will resign on December 31, 2025, ending his 23-year career at BAT.
·Succession plan: Paul McCrory will take over as General Counsel starting January 1, 2026, having worked at BAT for 18 years and held positions such as Company Secretary.
·Leadership feedback: The CEO praised Abelman's achievements in global legal compliance and team building, noting that the new appointment aims to strengthen legal leadership and strategic alignment.
In a press release dated September 12, 2025, British American Tobacco (BAT) announced that Jerome Abelman will be stepping down from his role as Chief Legal Officer and member of the management committee on December 31, 2025. This marks the end of Abelman's 23-year career at BAT, where he has served for over a decade in various legal positions.
Starting from January 1, 2026, the current Director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, Paul McCrory, will assume the position. Paul has been a member of the management board since September 1, 2023, with over 18 years of experience at British American Tobacco. Throughout his professional career, he has held several senior legal roles within the company, including positions in the Asia-Pacific region and 6 years serving as Corporate Secretary. Paul will first be appointed as the General Counsel Designate on October 1, 2025, and will continue to serve as a member of the management board.
Starting on October 1, 2025, the responsibilities of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Director will be transferred to Chief Corporate Officer Kingsley Wheaton.
CEO Tadeu Marroco stated:
I express my sincere gratitude to Jerry for his contributions during his 23-year career at British American Tobacco, including an 11-year tenure as a member of the management board and General Counsel. Jerry's leadership has always guided the group to uphold its commitment to integrity in business operations. Welcome Paul to his new role. His nearly two decades of legal and regulatory experience at British American Tobacco, as well as this appointment, underscore the group's commitment to maintaining strong legal leadership aligned with strategic priorities. Paul's collaborative and inclusive leadership style, combined with his deep understanding of the global legal and regulatory environment, make him particularly well-suited to lead British American Tobacco's legal function into the future. As part of the expanded responsibilities of the Chief Corporate Officer role, Kingsley will build on the significant progress made by Paul to further sharpen the execution of our regulatory affairs and communications agenda.
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