Leading Executives in Tobacco Products
Kyung-man Bang
Chief Executive Officer, KT&G Corporation
Appointed CEO in March 2024 and now leading KT&G’s global strategy and modernization of its nicotine portfolio.
Jiahui Dai
Executive Director & General Manager, China Tobacco International (HK) Company Limited
Executive Director and General Manager since July 4, 2023; heads the Hong Kong‑listed overseas arm of China National Tobacco focused on duty‑free and HNB exports.
Lars Dahlgren
President, Smoke‑Free Oral Products & CEO, Swedish Match, Philip Morris International (PMI)
Long‑time Swedish Match chief who now leads PMI’s global oral smoke‑free portfolio (ZYN) while serving as CEO of Swedish Match within PMI.
Niels Frederiksen
Chief Executive Officer, Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG)
Veteran STG leader steering one of the world’s largest premium cigar and pipe‑tobacco companies since 2015.
Billy Gifford
Chief Executive Officer, Altria Group, Inc.
CEO since 2020; driving Altria’s ‘Moving Beyond Smoking’ strategy across combustibles, oral pouches (on!) and e‑vapor (NJOY).
Stacey Kennedy
President, Americas & CEO, PMI U.S. Business, Philip Morris International (PMI)
PMI’s U.S. chief and President, Americas; a public voice for tobacco‑harm‑reduction as PMI scales ZYN and IQOS in the U.S.
Shannon Leistra
President & Chief Executive Officer, NJOY, LLC (an Altria company)
Leads NJOY, the FDA‑authorized ACE/DAILY e‑vapor brand within Altria’s portfolio.
Howard M. Lorber
President & Chief Executive Officer, Vector Group Ltd. (Liggett Group)
Long‑standing chief of Vector Group, parent of Liggett—the fourth‑largest U.S. cigarette maker.
Tadeu Marroco
Chief Executive, British American Tobacco (BAT)
CEO since May 2023; overseeing BAT’s pivot toward smokeless (Vuse, glo, Velo) and U.S. turnaround.
Dr. James Murphy
Director, Research & Science, British American Tobacco (BAT)
Global head of Research & Science; directs the science that underpins BAT’s reduced‑risk product strategy.
Jacek Olczak
Chief Executive Officer, Philip Morris International (PMI)
CEO since 2021; architect of PMI’s smoke‑free transformation and expansion of IQOS and ZYN globally.
Lukas Paravicini
Chief Executive Officer (effective Oct 1, 2025), Imperial Brands PLC
Incoming CEO effective October 1, 2025 after serving as CFO; will lead the next phase of Imperial’s NGP and tobacco strategy.
Sanjiv Puri
Chairman & Managing Director, ITC Limited (India)
Chairs India’s ITC—owner of the country’s leading cigarette brands—while driving a multi‑business growth and sustainability agenda.
Kim Reed
President & Chief Executive Officer, ITG Brands (Imperial Brands U.S.)
Heads Imperial’s largest market; expanding U.S. NGPs (blu, Zone pouches) alongside a major transformation program.
Pieter Sikkel
President & Chief Executive Officer, Pyxus International, Inc.
Seasoned leaf‑tobacco leader guiding Pyxus’ global agriproducts footprint and balance‑sheet reset.
Masamichi Terabatake
President & Chief Executive Officer, Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT Group)
JT Group’s top executive since 2018; steering global tobacco and reduced‑risk initiatives across 130+ markets.
David Waterfield
President & Chief Executive Officer, Reynolds American Inc. (BAT U.S.)
Took the helm of BAT’s U.S. business in July 2023; leads the RJR, Vuse and modern‑oral portfolios in the critical U.S. market.
Preston D. Wigner
Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, Universal Corporation
Elevated to Chairman, President & CEO on Oct 1, 2024; overseeing the world’s leading independent leaf‑tobacco supplier and a growing ingredients platform.
Susilo Wonowidjojo
President Director, PT Gudang Garam Tbk (Indonesia)
Long‑time president director of one of Indonesia’s largest kretek manufacturers, guiding flagship GGRM brands.
Zhang Jianmin
Director, STMA & General Manager, CNTC, China National Tobacco Corporation (CNTC) / State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA)
China’s top tobacco regulator and head of CNTC; the most influential executive in the world’s largest tobacco market.
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