Ankara: British American Tobacco (BAT) announced plans to eliminate approximately 5,500 roles globally, excluding the US, as part of a transformation initiative aimed at streamlining operations, reducing complexity, and cutting costs. The tobacco conglomerate, headquartered in London, has introduced the Fit2Win program, set to launch in 2025, to enhance the company's agility, cost-efficiency, and innovation.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Fit2Win program is projected to generate around £600 million ($793 million) in annual cost savings by the end of 2028. BAT's reorganization strategy involves transitioning about 3,500 roles to strategic partners to foster closer collaborations with technology and business services firms.

Under a strategic partnership signed in July 2025, several roles from BAT's Global Service Hubs in Costa Rica, Mexico, Poland, Romania, and Malaysia, as well as its Supply Network Operations in the UK and Singapore, have been transferred to Accenture. Additionally, select roles in Pakistan have moved to Systems Ltd. BAT has also expanded its partnership with ITC Infotech, transferring certain information, digital, and technology roles in Poland and Romania to the company.

The restructuring efforts explicitly exclude the US, which remains outside the scope of this program. BAT stated that most changes have been communicated to employees, with remaining consultations proceeding in accordance with local information and consultation requirements.

BAT's Chief Executive, Tadeu Marroco, emphasized the company's commitment to building a "future-ready organization" that is more agile, cost-disciplined, and technology-enabled. Marroco highlighted that Fit2Win is pivotal to BAT's strategy to bolster operations and enhance competitiveness in a rapidly evolving market.

The company noted that the program is already yielding improvements in operational efficiency, decision-making speed, and market alignment. BAT has also consolidated its factory network over the past 18 to 24 months as part of a comprehensive review of its manufacturing footprint.