Imperial Brands has appointed John Rishton as a non-executive director and chair designate, with the experienced FTSE boardroom figure set to take over as chair later this year.
The tobacco and next generation products group said Rishton will join its board on 13 July 2026, before succeeding Thérèse Esperdy as chair on 1 December 2026, when Esperdy will retire from the board.
Imperial Brands said the appointment follows a “comprehensive search process” and was approved by the board after a succession process led by the company’s People, Governance & Sustainability Committee, chaired by senior independent director Sue Clark.
Rishton is currently chair of Informa and a non-executive director at Diageo, and has held a range of senior leadership roles across complex, regulated, international businesses. He previously served as chair of Serco between 2021 and 2025 and has held non-executive roles at Unilever and Allied Domecq. His executive career includes stints as chief executive of Rolls-Royce Group and as CFO and then CEO and president of Royal Ahold, as well as CFO of British Airways.
Sue Clark said: “The board is delighted to appoint an exceptional candidate as chair. His deep understanding of transformation and sectors experiencing strategic shifts will be invaluable as he leads the Imperial Brands board.”
Clark also paid tribute to the outgoing chair, adding: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Thérèse for her outstanding contribution over the past decade. She has been pivotal in making Imperial Brands the strong, challenger business it is today.”
Rishton said: “It is a great honour to have been asked to succeed Thérèse as chair of Imperial Brands. I look forward to working with the board and with Lukas and his leadership team to support the delivery of the company’s ambitious strategic objectives.”
Imperial Brands CEO Lukas Paravicini said Esperdy’s tenure had helped reshape the business, crediting her with overseeing a turnaround in its core tobacco business, building a growing portfolio of next generation products, and delivering “more than £10 billion in capital returns to shareholders”.
“Our business is well positioned for the future, and I look forward to working with John and the board as we focus on implementing our evolved strategy and continuing to drive consistent sustainable growth,” Paravicini added.
Esperdy joined the Imperial Brands board in 2016 and became chair in January 2020. The company noted that under the UK Corporate Governance Code she reached the “comply or explain” nine-year tenure point in 2025, but following consultation with shareholders and advisers, her term as chair was extended to provide continuity as Paravicini and CFO Murray McGowan settled into their new roles.