Tony Hayward to head BAT Korea

By Lee Hyo-sik

British American Tobacco (BAT) Korea has appointed Tony Hayward as its new CEO effective Tuesday, replacing outgoing CEO Erik Stoel who has gone to Malaysia to head the tobacco maker’s operations in the Southeast Asian nation.

The British national has been with the company for 17 years since he joined as a financial accounting manager in the Southampton factory in 1999. Since he became the firm’s Africa financial manager in London in 2001, he has been making a substantial contribution to its financial strategies while covering numerous markets around the world, such as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Romania and Poland.

Hayward then moved back to the headquarters in Britain to head a global human resources project. He then went to the American Continent to serve as a regional manager, developing his managerial skills before assuming his last role there as regional head of finance of BAT Americas.

“I am honored to have been given the opportunity to have a fresh start at BAT Korea after acquiring valuable experience through working with talented employees while traveling across the world,” Hayward said. “BAT Korea, including the Sacheon factory, is considered a strategically important market in our group. I will devote myself to strengthening BAT Korea’s capabilities as a Korea’s market leader and nurture it into a key hub for the global tobacco market.”

Founded in 1902, BAT is an international tobacco company that operates in 200 different countries. BAT Korea, founded in 1990, offers its key brands including Dunhill, Rothmans and Kent. The company employs about 600 people and operates a manufacturing facility in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.