Grad Academy goes virtual again

Following the success of the virtual programme in 2020 and continued global travel restrictions, the Academy was conducted in a fully digital environment for a second time.

The Academy builds our grads’ commercial acumen and strategic thinking and supports them in developing the right capabilities as future business leaders.

117 Global Graduates from 28 markets, representing all functions and regions in BAT, embarked on a journey of five weeks’ pre-work challenges followed by a fortnight of live sessions, focused on developing “winning capabilities.

This year, the Academy introduced new topics including manufacturing innovation and emotional intelligence, while gamified video-based learning kept the grads on their toes.

Attendees also heard how to build a successful career at BAT from senior leaders including:

• Jack Bowles, Chief Executive
• Hae In Kim, Director, Talent, Culture and Inclusion;
• Kingsley Wheaton, Chief Marketing Officer;
• and Johan Vandermeulen, Regional Director, Europe and North Africa.

David Kim, Group Head of Talent, Organisational Effectiveness & Inclusion, said: “We were very excited to bring the Academy to our grads in a fully virtual environment. The live sessions introduced them to our most senior BAT leaders, and interactive discussions deepened their understanding of the business, our strategy, and our New Categories portfolio. The experience has definitely strengthened the winning capabilities of our future leaders.”