Directorate Change

British American Tobacco PLC
20 September 2007


For immediate release: Thursday, 20 September 2007


               Nicandro Durante Appointed Chief Operating Officer


Nicandro Durante will be appointed to the Board of British American Tobacco
p.l.c. as Chief Operating Officer from 1 January 2008, on Antonio Monteiro de
Castro's retirement from the Company.  Nicandro, who is 50, is Brazilian and
currently Director, Africa & Middle East.  An announcement about his successor
will be made in due course.


Nicandro originally joined Souza Cruz, the Group's Brazilian subsidiary, over 25
years ago.  He was appointed to the Management Board in March 2006, having
previously been President of Souza Cruz.  In his earlier career, he held various
financial roles in the UK and Hong Kong, as well as in Brazil.


Commenting on the appointment, Jan du Plessis, Chairman of British American
Tobacco, said:  "Antonio will be a very hard act to follow but I am confident
that Nicandro will be a worthy successor and work well with Paul Adams as Chief
Executive and Paul Rayner as Finance Director.


"I would like to thank Antonio for the tremendous contribution he has made to
the Group throughout his career and particularly since becoming Chief Operating
Officer in January 2004."


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