British American Tobacco appoints new general manager

British American Tobacco International (BATI) has announced the appointment of Jose Benikes as general manager effective October 1.  Benikes succeeds Christian Löwe who will continue his career with the company in a global marketing role.

New BATI general manager Jose Benikes

New BATI general manager Jose Benikes

Part of the company for nearly three decades, Benikes, currently serving as Head of Route to Market, brings a deep understanding of the tobacco industry, according to BATI. Previously, he has held the role of General Manger of Europe Travel Retail and the company said he had a substantial familiarity with the uniqueness of the travel-retail channel and great appreciation of the challenges facing the channel.

He said: “Travel-retail has always been an exciting channel for me, filled with great opportunities. I’m very much looking forward to coming back to continue to drive innovation, brand strategy and work closely with our customers and retailers to deliver outstanding results.”