Re Directorate

British American Tobacco PLC
26 February 2001



                                   
                           MANAGEMENT CHANGES

Paul Adams will be appointed to the Board of British American Tobacco
plc on 1st March, prior to succeeding Ulrich Herter as Managing Director
at the end of 2001.  Before that, he will become Deputy Managing
Director at the beginning of June, on the retirement of Bill Ryan.

Georg Domizlaff will take over from Paul Adams as Regional Director,
Europe, subject to the agreement of the Supervisory Board of British
American Tobacco, Germany, where he is currently General Manager.  He
will be joining the Management Board of British American Tobacco on 1st
June.

There are two further appointments to the Management Board.  On 1st
April, Peter Brickley will become Chief Information Officer and Ben
Stevens is appointed Development Director.

Martin Broughton, Chairman of British American Tobacco, said:  'I would
like to pay tribute to two doyens of the industry who will be retiring
this year.  Bill Ryan, Deputy Managing Director since the merger and
before that Chief Executive of Rothmans for 10 years, retires in June
and Ulrich Herter, who became Managing Director in 1992, retires at the
end of the year.  Both have made a major impact on the tobacco industry.
Bill has done so much to make the merger with Rothmans a success and
Ulrich has given the business outstanding operational leadership for the
last decade.  Shareholders have much to thank them for.  It is an
understatement, as well as a cliche that Ulrich will be a hard act to
follow but I am confident that Paul, who has been with the Group for
about 10 years, has the right skills and experience to take the business
forward in the next decade.'

Enquiries:

Investor Relations:      Press Office:

Ralph Edmondson          David Betteridge/Scott Hailstone
020 7845 1180            020 7845 2888

                           http://www.bat.com