Ceylon Tobacco Company - Sarmad Abbasi
Mr. Sarmad Abbasi is a seasoned global leader with over 15 years of experience within the British American Tobacco (BAT) Group. His distinguished career spans General Management, Strategic Marketing, and Category Transformation across multiple international markets, with a consistent track record of driving performance in complex and highly regulated environments.
Prior to his appointment at Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC, Sarmad served as the General Manager for BAT Iraq, where he successfully steered the business through a challenging geopolitical landscape while delivering resilient and sustainable results. His tenure at BAT includes several senior leadership roles, notably as Regional Manager in Pakistan and Head of Brands, where he spearheaded large-scale business transformations and distributor consolidation programs that significantly enhanced commercial effectiveness and market execution.
Beyond his commercial and strategic achievements, Sarmad is recognized for a people-centric leadership style. He is deeply committed to building high-performing teams and developing robust talent pipelines, ensuring organizational growth is matched by professional excellence across the markets he leads.
Sarmad holds an MBA from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and a degree in Computer Science. This unique academic background allows him to bridge high-level analytical capability with deep expertise in brand building and business strategy.