Seasoned British American Tobacco’s (BAT) director of digital and information Javed Iqbal will lead the company’s finance function as the newly appointed interim CFO.
British American Tobacco (BAT) has announced that Javed Iqbal, director of digital and information and member of the management board, has been appointed interim CFO with effect from 26 August 2025. He steps into the role following the resignation of Soraya Benchikh, with a recruitment process underway to appoint her permanent successor.
Javed brings extensive financial and leadership experience to the position, having joined BAT In 1996 as a finance manager with the Pakistani division of the company. He went on to hold several senior roles across the business, including positions as finance controller in South Korea, marketing finance manager at BAT’s London headquarters and most recently area director for Middle East, South Asia and North Africa in 2019.
In 2022, Javed was appointed to the management board as director of digital and information, where he has been leading BAT’s global digital transformation agenda, including cloud migration and systems modernisation. He previously served as interim finance director between May 2023 and April 2024.
His dual expertise in finance and digital transformation is expected to provide continuity and stability during the transition period.
