Directorate Change

British American Tobacco PLC
26 February 2002


                            BOARD APPOINTMENT

Antonio Monteiro de Castro, Regional Director - Latin American and Caribbean
since 1996, will be appointed to the Board of British American Tobacco plc on 1 
March 2002.

As a result, the Board will consist of four Executive and eight Non-executive
Directors.

Antonio, who is 56, held senior executive positions at Gillette do Brazil and
Alcoa (Brazil) before joining Souza Cruz as Vice President in March 1989.  In 
July 1991, he was elected President and CEO of Souza Cruz SA of Brazil, the 
listed company in which British American Tobacco has a 75 per cent interest.


Enquiries:

British American Tobacco Press Office
Dave Betteridge, Scott Hailstone, Ann Tradigo
Tel:  [phone]

                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange