Delen, 41, a native of the Netherlands, joined London-based British American Tobacco in 1989 as a brand manager in Guatemala. He later held marketing and sales management positions for BAT in England, Singapore, Chile and Argentina.
Delen was named senior vice president of marketing and sales in 2001 for BAT's former US unit Brown & Williamson Tobacco, which is now a part of RJR, and became president of BAT's Japan business unit in August 2004.
Beasley, 49, will remain onboard through mid-February to ease the transition. (pi)