Kakhaber Benidze has been appointed as the Managing Director of British American Tobacco Bangladesh PLC. effective 1st May 2026. He succeeds Monisha Abraham, whose leadership contributed to strong business performance during her tenure at BAT Bangladesh, a press release said.

Benidze is a seasoned business leader with more than 25 years of industry experience, including over 15 years in board-level management roles across the FMCG sector. Since joining BAT in 2001 as a mid-career recruit, he has held senior leadership positions in Marketing, Supply Chain and General Management, building a strong track record of commercial delivery, organisational transformation and stakeholder engagement across diverse markets.

Throughout his career, he has also served as General Manager across several complex and multicultural markets, including Ukraine, the Middle East, the Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia) & Moldova region, and Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to his appointment in Bangladesh, Benidze served as General Manager of BAT Switzerland and BAT Austria Cluster. His leadership has been marked by a focus on business turnarounds, sustainable growth, portfolio transformation and capability building.

Benidze joined the Board of Directors of BAT Bangladesh on 1st May 2026. With his extensive international experience, strategic outlook and hands-on leadership approach, he is well positioned to guide BAT Bangladesh through its next phase of growth and continued contribution to the national economy.

Benidze holds an Executive MBA, a master’s degree in jurisprudence, and a degree in Landscape Architecture.

Commenting on his appointment, Benidze said, “I am honored to take on the role of Managing Director of BAT Bangladesh, one of the highest taxpayers of the nation, with a long-standing legacy of over 116 years of operations. I look forward to working with our talented team and partners to build on this foundation, strengthen our performance and continue contributing meaningfully to Bangladesh’s growth journey.”

With his proven leadership capabilities and depth of international experience, Benidze’s appointment is expected to further strengthen BAT Bangladesh’s business performance, organisational capabilities and role as a long-term growth partner to the nation.