Imperial Brands PLC, whose products include Gauloises and Davidoff cigarettes, Rizla papers and blu vapes, has announced that Julie Hamilton will take a seat on its board as a non-executive director upon conclusion of the company’s AGM on 31 January. She will also join the people and governance committee.

Hamilton, who was chief commercial and global sales officer at Diageo until August 2023, has more than 30 years’ experience in marketing, strategy and digital transformation. Prior to Diageo, she spent 25 years at the Coca-Cola Company, where she held a range of leadership positions, including chief customer and commercial leadership officer.

Chair Thérèse Esperdy said: “Julie is an experienced global leader who brings deep knowledge of delivering commercial change in multinational consumer businesses. Her understanding of digital transformation and global brands will be invaluable to the board as it continues to oversee Imperial’s strategy and transformation.”