BAT Asia-Pacific & Middle East Director Change 2026: Dijanosic Resigns, Meulemeester to Succeed

Key points:

·Michael Dijanosic, the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa Regional Director for British American Tobacco, will resign at the end of the year. 

·Pascale Meulemeester from Baricalebao will be joining British American Tobacco and will officially take over as Regional Director on January 1, 2026. 

·The company's stock prices rose in both London and Johannesburg.

【2Firsts News Flash】According to Market Screener, British American Tobacco is experiencing a change in senior leadership. The current Director for Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, Michael Dijanosic, will be stepping down on December 31, 2025.

According to the BAT official website, Michael DiNuccio joined British American Tobacco Australia in 1999, beginning his career and witnessing the transformation of the company and industry.

Over the past two decades, he has held several senior leadership positions in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions. In September 2020, he became the Regional Director for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, and starting in April 2023, he will also take on the role of Regional Director for Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA). He believes that the APMEA region is full of opportunities, and leading businesses in this region requires continuous innovation and mutual encouragement.

Dijanowski's position will be taken over by Pascale Meulemeester, who currently serves as the Western Europe Regional President of Swiss chocolate company Barry Callebaut and is a member of the executive leadership team. Meulemeester will join British American Tobacco as the designate Regional Director on September 1st and is scheduled to officially assume the role of Regional Director on January 1st, 2026, becoming a member of the management committee.

The last time British American Tobacco made changes to its executive management team, Dianosic became the regional director. Following the announcement, the company's stock price reacted positively. As of July 14, the stock price on the London market rose by 0.3% to 3,798.00 pence (approximately $48), marking a 53% increase in the past twelve months. In Johannesburg, the stock price also increased by 0.7%, with a year-to-date increase of 56%.

According to 2Firsts at Pascal LinkedIn, Pascal has been the President of Bacardi Martini Western Europe since September 2023 and is now a member of Bacardi Martini's executive leadership team. She has over 20 years of work and life experience in developed markets (Western Europe, Japan) and emerging markets (Asia Pacific), having held local, regional, and global roles.