BAT recognised as a Financial Times Diversity Leader for second consecutive year

Diversity and inclusion a key driver of BAT's transformation journey as it builds A Better Tomorrow

BAT continues to move up the FT Diversity Leader rankings

BAT sets ambitious global diversity and inclusion ambitions for 2025

LONDON, Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The BAT Group (BAT) has today been named as a Diversity Leader by the Financial Times for a second consecutive year.

The prestigious FT Diversity Leaders report recognises the top 850 companies across 16 European countries that have achieved a diverse and inclusive workplace. It assesses key areas including: Gender balance; sexual orientation; and a workforce comprised of an ethnic and social mix that reflects wider society.

Diversity and inclusion have been a key part of BAT's heritage which goes back 120 years. Today, BAT is proud to have 141 nationalities in management positions in its operations across 189 countries, and 87 nationalities in its London head office alone. This year, BAT set itself new diversity and inclusion ambitions to achieve by 2025 including:

• Increasing the number of women in senior leadership teams to 40%
• Increasing the number of women in management roles to 45%
• Achieving a 50% spread of nationalities within key leadership teams to better mirror BAT's consumer base.

Attracting and retaining an increasingly diverse workforce, and providing a welcoming, inclusive working environment is a key driver in BAT's transformation journey. BAT is committed to its purpose to build A Better Tomorrow by reducing the health impact of its business through providing a range of enjoyable and less risky products. The company continues to be clear that combustible cigarettes pose serious health risks, and the only way to avoid these risks is not to start or to quit. BAT encourages those who would otherwise continue to smoke, to switch completely to scientifically-substantiated, reduced-risk alternatives.

Hae In Kim, Director of Talent, Culture and Inclusion, at BAT, said:

"We are delighted to be named as a Diversity Leader by the Financial Times for the second year running. This recognition acknowledges our ongoing commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture at BAT underpinned by our ethos which encourages our employees to be Bold, Fast, Empowered, Responsible and Diverse. We are proud of what we have achieved so far, and recognise, like many other businesses, we can and must still do more.