The Bristol-headquartered company’s current chair will step down in December after a decade on the board
Imperial Brands’ global HQ is in Bristol(Image: BAM Construction)
The former chief executive of Rolls-Royce is to join the board of tobacco giant Imperial Brands. John Rishton will take up his role as non-executive director and chair designate of the Bristol-headquartered company in July.
He will succeed Thérèse Esperdy, who is stepping down after a decade on the board and six years as its chair. Ms Esperdy will retire on December 1 and Mr Rishton will then take over the role officially.
Mr Rishton is currently chair of events and digital services group Informa and a non-executive director of alcoholic drinks giant Diageo.
He served as chair of Serco Group between 2021 and 2025, and was previously a non-executive director of Unilever and Bristol-based Allied Domecq.
Former executive positions include chief of Rolls-Royce Group, from 2011 to 2015, chief financial officer and then chief executive and president of Royal Ahold NV, and chief financial officer of British Airways.
Lukas Paravicini, Imperial Brands chief executive, said: “I speak for everyone at Imperial Brands in thanking Thérèse for her leadership as chair. Under Thérèse’s stewardship, Imperial Brands has turned around its core tobacco business, developed a growing portfolio of next generation products and delivered more than £10bn in capital returns to shareholders.
“Our business is well positioned for the future, and I look forward to working with John and the board as we focus on implementing our evolved strategy and continuing to drive consistent sustainable growth.”
The appointment was approved by the board and follows a succession process undertaken by Imperial Brands’ People, Governance and Sustainability Committee. The committee was led by Sue Clark, a senior independent director, and all non-executive directors participated, Imperial said.
Ms Clark said: “The board is delighted to appoint an exceptional candidate as chair. John has impressive experience of senior non-executive roles and complex, highly regulated, international businesses. His deep understanding of transformation and sectors experiencing strategic shifts will be invaluable as he leads the Imperial Brands board.”
“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Thérèse for her outstanding contribution over the past decade. She has been pivotal in making Imperial Brands the strong, challenger business it is today.”
Mr Rishton added: “It is a great honour to have been asked to succeed Thérèse as chair of Imperial Brands. I look forward to working with the board and with Lukas and his leadership team to support the delivery of the company’s ambitious strategic objectives.”
In November, Imperial Brands increased its shareholder dividend after reporting a rise in profits for the financial year. The maker of Davidoff, West and Golden Virginia said “strong operational momentum” had delivered growth and enabled increased returns.
