Management Board Appointments

British American Tobacco PLC
22 April 2002


                         MANAGEMENT BOARD APPOINTMENTS

                          AT BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO


Tony Johnston, Regional Director Asia Pacific, has decided to retire at the end
of 2002, having been a member of the Management Board since 1995, overseen the
successful integration of business in Asia Pacific following the merger and made
significant progress in negotiating the Group's re-entry to the Chinese market.


Tony Johnston will be succeeded by Tony Jones, Regional Director, Africa and the
Middle East, who has considerable experience of the markets in the Asia Pacific
region, having been Regional Chief Executive - Asia for Rothmans International
at the time of the merger in 1999.  The Asia Pacific Regional team will be
moving to Hong Kong in recognition of the paramount importance of the Group's
plans for China.


Tony Jones's successor will be Jacques Kruger, who joined Rothmans in 1979 and
is currently Managing Director of British American Tobacco South Africa.
Jacques will be succeeded by David Crow, Marketing Director of British American
Tobacco Australia, a position he has held for over three years.  Commenting on
the moves, Martin Broughton, Chairman of British American Tobacco, said:  "I
should like to pay a particular tribute to Tony Johnston, who joined the tobacco
business in 1987 from Wiggins Teape, which was then part of the Group.  He has
had an immensely successful career and the steps he has been able to take
towards re-entering the Chinese market are extremely significant in terms of the
Group as a whole.


"I am very confident that Tony Jones, with his proven track record in Asia, will
be able to build on Tony Johnston's achievements, in much the same way that he
has taken our business in Africa forward since joining the Group.  Jacques
Kruger's appointment to the Management Board comes following outstanding
leadership of British American Tobacco South Africa since joining the Group as a
result of the merger with Rothmans in 1999."


Enquiries:

British American Tobacco Press Office
Dave Betteridge, Scott Hailstone, Ann Tradigo
Tel:  [phone]


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