Paul McCrory

Paul McCrory

Paul McCrory

Director, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs

Assuming the role of Director, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs on 1 September 2023 comes at a key moment in the BATs transformation. The tobacco and nicotine industry is transforming at an unprecedented pace. As such, the strategic role of our regulatory agenda and communicating BAT’s perspective has never been more important. That’s why this role in particular is so exciting.

I joined BAT in 2006 as Group Mergers & Acquisition (M&A) Counsel in London and went on to lead large legal teams as General Counsel in East Asia and then as Head of the Commercial Legal Department.

In 2017, I took up the role as Assistant General Counsel Corporate and Group Company Secretary where I oversaw all M&A and corporate venturing activity and worked closely with the Board, Chairman and CEO.

I was born and grew up in Belfast as part of a large family and moved to England to study at Oxford University. Prior to BAT, I worked at an international law firm which provided me with a strong grounding in all aspects of legal, commercial and compliance matters which undoubtedly helped prepare me for an exciting career in BAT.

In this role, I am responsible for shaping our regulatory strategy and leading stakeholder engagement to secure sustainable access to markets and categories.

I would describe my leadership style as collaborative and inclusive, believing that almost anything is possible with the right people and culture, underpinned by a sense of empowerment.

Working at BAT is dynamic, fascinating and challenging (in a good way). No two days are the same and the breadth of issues I’ve dealt with has meant that I’m always learning and developing. When you add to that a multicultural work environment and incredibly talented people with whom you can exchange ideas, it really is a unique place to work.

Nationality: Irish
 

Career to date

 

  • 1998: Joins law firm Herbert Smith LLP and becomes Senior Associate in the Corporate Division, working in London and Hong Kong
  • 2005: Moves to Société Générale to become Senior Corporate Counsel based in London
  • 2006: Joins BAT as Group M&A Counsel in London
  • 2008: Moves to become General Counsel & Head of Business Development for BAT’s East Asia Area
  • 2012: Becomes Head of Marketing Legal in London
  • 2015: Promoted to Assistant General Counsel, Commercial
  • 2017: Takes up role as Assistant General Counsel Corporate and Group Company Secretary
  • 2023: Appointed as Director, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs

A Better Tomorrow™


For me, A Better Tomorrow™ is a world where every adult smoker who does not wish to quit using nicotine has the option to choose at least one of our New Category products; with the ultimate aim of reducing the health impact of our business.

There remain over one billion adult smokers today and the opportunity to migrate these adult smokers to less risky products is clear. BAT has the smokeless product portfolio and consumer understanding to make Tobacco Harm Reduction a reality around the world.

Our actions alone are not sufficient. A range of stakeholders, including regulators, investors, politicians and the public at large, need to be persuaded about the benefits of Tobacco Harm Reduction. For our part, we will continue to focus on the science that underpins our smokeless portfolio and will work with stakeholders to address their concerns. If we get this right, there is a huge opportunity for BAT and society.

Education

 

  •  Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics, Philosophy & Economics at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford University, UK
  •  LPC & Diploma in Law at the College of Law, York, UK
     

Personal interests


Away from the office, I enjoy wine and I’m a keen runner (but not at the same time!) and have a passion for photography. Most of all though, I enjoy spending as much time with my family as I can.