Second BAT man quits top position
British American Tobacco has lost a second senior international brand specialist.
UK-based Iain Hacking was general manager for international US brands in markets outside North America. He was responsible for Lucky Strike, Kent, US Pall Mall and Barclay.
It is understood Hacking has left to write a book and has been replaced by David Grime, ex-marketing director for BAT in Chile.
Hacking is the second senior figure to leave. Tom Whitehair, vice president of marketing at BAT’s US subsidiary Brown and Williamson, is to retire at the end of the year. Whitehair will be replaced through the internal promotion of Ben Bexon.
Hacking and Whitehair have spent a combined 48 years working for British American Tobacco.
“Both had overall responsibility for marketing in their respective areas,” says a BAT spokesman. “But there will be no agency changes.”
BAT centralised its 65m global advertising into Bates Worldwide in January.
Parent BAT Industries has four tobacco divisions; Brown and Williamson in the US, Souza Cruz in Brazil, BAT Germany and British American Tobacco which is responsible for all other markets including Japan, Korea and Europe, minus Germany. BAT does not directly market in the UK although its European operation is centred here.
