Durante to be New COO at BAT

Source from:  tr.itsmyiq.com Sep 21, 2007 09/24/2007

Nicandro Durante will be appointed to the board of British American Tobacco plc as chief operating officer from January 1 next year, on the retirement from the company of Antonio Monteiro de Castro. Durante, 50, is a Brazilian and currently director of the company's Africa & Middle East region. An announcement about his successor will be made in due course. Durante joined Souza Cruz, the group's Brazilian subsidiary, more than 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, chairman, Jan du Plessis, 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." Enditem