Finance
Imperial Brands names John Rishton as new chair
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 20, 2026
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Quick Summary
Imperial Brands appoints John Rishton as chair, succeeding Therese Esperdy. Rishton joins the board in July, taking over in December.
Imperial Brands names John Rishton as new chair
Leadership Changes at Imperial Brands
Jan 20 (Reuters) - Cigarette maker Imperial Brands on Tuesday named John Rishton as it new Chair, succeeding Therese Esperdy, who will retire from the board in December.
Overview of Executive Transition
This is the second major executive shift in recent months at the company, which makes Winston, Davidoff and Gauloises cigarettes. Last year, its chief financial officer, Lukas Paravicini, took over the role of CEO from Stefan Bomhard after the latter stepped down.
Rishton's Background and Experience
Rishton, who currently chairs events and academic publishing group Informa PLC, will join Imperial's board on July 13, before taking over on December 1 when Esperdy steps down.
Esperdy's Contributions to the Company
Esperdy, who has chaired Imperial since January 2020, oversaw the turnaround of its core tobacco business and delivered more than 10 billion pounds in capital returns to shareholders, Paravicini said.
Previously, Rishton served as the CEO of Rolls-Royce and was CFO at British Airways.
(Reporting by Raechel Thankam Job in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)
Key Takeaways
- •John Rishton appointed as new chair of Imperial Brands.
- •Therese Esperdy to retire from the board in December.
- •Rishton previously chaired Informa PLC.
- •Esperdy led a turnaround of Imperial's tobacco business.
- •Rishton has experience as CEO of Rolls-Royce.
Frequently Asked Questions about Imperial Brands names John Rishton as new chair
1What is a corporate chair?
A corporate chair is the highest-ranking officer in a company's board of directors, responsible for leading board meetings and ensuring effective governance.
2What is corporate governance?
Corporate governance refers to the systems, principles, and processes by which a company is directed and controlled, focusing on the relationships among stakeholders.
3What is an executive transition?
An executive transition occurs when a company changes its leadership, often involving the appointment of new executives to key positions.
