Job Title: Chief information officer and area head of information and digital technology for Sub-Saharan Africa
Company: British American Tobacco
Ilhaam Karbelkar is the chief information officer: area head of information and digital technology for Sub-Saharan Africa at British American Tobacco (BAT).
Before taking up her current role in 2025, she served as head of regional corporate DBS for APMEA at the company. She previously served as global trade excellence lead for O2C, information and digital technology SSA corporate portfolio lead, DBS SAM IT lead and ESA corporate portfolio lead, and corporate information and digital technology lead for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Earlier in her career at British American Tobacco, Ilhaam held roles including marketing information and digital technology business relationship manager and analyst for Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa, regional marketing business systems expert for direct store sales areas in Europe, Middle East and Africa, IT account manager, senior business analyst for trade marketing and distribution, and business analyst.
She began her career at BAT in 2007 in the global management trainee programme. Ilhaam holds a BCom honours and a BCom in management information systems, both from the University of Cape Town. She also completed the Leadership Development Programme at the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
Work:
2025 – Present CIO: Area head of information and digital technology for Sub-Saharan Africa, British American Tobacco (BAT)
2024 – 2025 Head of regional corporate DBS for APMEA, BAT
2023 – 2024 Global trade excellence lead for O2C, BAT
2023 – 2023 Information and digital technology SSA corporate portfolio lead, BAT
2021 – 2023 Digital business solutions SAM IT lead and ESA corporate portfolio lead, BAT
2020 – 2021 Corporate information and digital technology lead for Sub-Saharan Africa, BAT
2018 – 2020 Marketing information, digital technology business relationship manager and analyst for Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa, BAT
2018 – 2018 Regional marketing business systems expert for TMD in AmSSA region, BAT
2015 – 2018 Regional marketing business systems expert for EMEA, BAT
2014 – 2015 IT account manager, BAT
2011 – 2013 Senior business analyst for trade marketing and distribution, BAT
2009 – 2010 Business analyst, BAT
2007 – 2008 Global management trainee, BAT
Education:
2011 – 2012 Leadership Development Programme, Gordon Institute of Business Science
2006 – 2006 BCom honours in management information systems, University of Cape Town
2003 – 2005 BCom in management information systems, University of Cape Town
About company:
British American Tobacco (BAT) is a multi-category consumer goods company supplying tobacco and nicotine products across global markets.
