Kingsley Wheaton will be chief marketing officer at British American Tobacco (BAT) as of 1 January, succeeding current marketing chief Andrew Gray, the tobacco company said in a press statement.

Gray, who has been with BAT for 32 years, will step down from the Management Board and leave the company on 31 March, BAT said.
Wheaton is currently BAT’s regional director for the Americas and Sub Saharan Africa region and has been with BAT for 22 years, including serving on the Management Board for six years, and has held senior positions in marketing and management at the company. Wheaton will begin the new marketing role on 1 January and BAT said his successor in the regional director position will be announced in due time.
Outgoing CEO of BAT, Nicandro Durante, thanked Gray for his “outstanding leadership and service to BAT over his highly successful 32 year career. We will miss his calm demeanour, his strategic thinking and his considerable experience of our business. The evolution of our marketing strategy under his leadership will benefit the group for many years to come. On behalf of the entire organisation I would like to wish him all the very best for the future,” he said.
CEO Designate Jack Bowles commented, "Having worked with Kingsley for a long time there is no doubt that he is an excellent fit for this role. His breadth of experience right across our business, combined with his proven leadership, positions him extremely well to continue driving our transforming tobacco strategy."