By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Imperial Brands appointed John Rishton as non-executive director and chair designate, effective July 13, 2026.
- Rishton will succeed Thérèse Esperdy as chair on Dec. 1, 2026, when she retires from the board.
- Rishton currently chairs Informa and is a non-executive director at Diageo, with prior top roles including Rolls-Royce CEO.
Imperial Brands PLC said it has appointed John Rishton as a Non-Executive Director and Chair Designate, following what it described as a comprehensive search process.
Rishton will join the board on July 13, 2026, and is set to become chair on Dec. 1, 2026, succeeding Thérèse Esperdy, who will retire from the board then. Esperdy joined the Imperial Brands board in July 2016, became Senior Independent Director in May 2019, and was appointed chair in January 2020.
Rishton currently chairs Informa PLC and serves as a non-executive director at Diageo PLC. He previously served as chair of Serco Group PLC from 2021 to 2025 and has held board roles, including non-executive director positions at Unilever and Allied Domecq, according to a release.
His executive career includes serving as chief executive of Rolls-Royce Group from 2011 to 2015, after joining its board as a non-executive director. He also served as CFO and then CEO and president of Royal Ahold NV, and earlier as CFO at British Airways.
The company said the appointment was approved by the board and followed a succession process led by the People, Governance & Sustainability Committee, chaired by Senior Independent Director Sue Clark, with participation from all non-executive directors.
“The Board is delighted to appoint an exceptional candidate as Chair,” Clark said, citing Rishton’s experience across regulated international businesses and complex transformations. Clark also thanked Esperdy for her “outstanding contribution” and said she will remain as chair until Dec. 1 to support an orderly transition.
Rishton said he was “honored” to be asked to succeed Esperdy and looked forward to working with the board and CEO Lukas Paravicini.
Paravicini credited Esperdy’s tenure with helping Imperial Brands “turn around its core tobacco business,” expand its portfolio of next-generation products, and deliver more than £10 billion in capital returns to shareholders.
