It’s a late afternoon in Riyadh when I sit down with Soraya Benchikh, group chief financial officer of British American Tobacco (BAT), a leading multi-category business undergoing a massive industry transformation with a purpose of creating A Better Tomorrow™, for what turns into one of the most enriching and human conversations I’ve had with a corporate leader.
Her energy is calm yet commanding. She speaks in thoughtful cadence, her words weighed with both intellect and humility. It’s not long before the story of her extraordinary journey begins to unfold — one of displacement, reinvention, grit, and leadership.
Born in Lebanon, Benchikh’s early years were shaped by war. Her family fled to Europe in 1983, seeking refuge and stability. “I never took anything for granted,” she tells Economy Middle East. “Coming from a war-torn country, you learn to fight for every opportunity.” And fight she did. She pursued mathematics at university — not because she had a clear plan, but because it intrigued her. That curiosity, coupled with courage, would become her defining traits.
Read: From smoke rings to science: The evolving world of tobacco
The making of a leader
Benchikh’s professional story begins with a chance encounter at a career fair, which led her to Gillette’s management trainee program. From there, she became a certified accountant and transitioned through roles at GE and eventually, in a twist of fate, to BAT. “A recruiter asked if I’d ever work in tobacco,” she recalls with a laugh. “At the time, I smoked, so I said, sure!”
Her career at BAT was anything but linear. She navigated roles across Cyprus, Switzerland, France, Russia, and beyond — each move teaching her a different model of business and leadership. She moved from finance into general management, tackling business turnarounds in France and Southern Africa, including a key acquisition in the vaping space.
Then came the pandemic. Diageo approached her with a general management role in Northern Europe. She took the leap, moved to Germany, enrolled her son in a new school, and began leading a business she’d never seen in person — all via Zoom. It was a steep learning curve — managing a mature, complex market from behind a screen, in a new country, during a global crisis.
“What I thought was a weakness — being new, remote, and unfamiliar — turned out to be my strength.” After delivering strong results through an energized and inspired team, she was promoted to President of Europe.
Benchikh’s transformation at Diageo was swift. She was promoted to President of Europe, and later helped establish the company’s GCC hub. “It’s now the fastest-growing cluster in the region,” she notes proudly.
When BAT’s CEO offered her the Group CFO role, she didn’t hesitate. “This transformation — taking a 100-year-old tobacco company and turning it into a leading consumer goods company with the focus on smokeless alternatives — it’s one of the most complex shifts in our industry. It’s deeply compelling.”
Leading BAT forward
Benchikh is pragmatic about BAT’s legacy. “We still derive most of our revenue from combustibles, but we’re using that to fund R&D, build new categories, and transition the business. We broke even on new categories two years ahead of plan.”
Her focus is on driving innovation that could transform public health while ensuring sustainability of the business and shareholder value. As a leader, Benchikh believes in co-creation. “You drive what you create,” she says. She’s moved beyond perfectionism, understanding that ownership from the team yields better results than rigid top-down directives. Her style evolved from command to collaboration — from needing control to building consensus.
Family matters
Growing up with five brothers in a traditional household gave her resilience. “Women in our part of the world often carry the extra burden of having to prove their worth.” But she carved her own path. “I always knew I didn’t want economic dependency. That’s the foundation of true independence.”
Empowering women
Benchikh speaks with reverence about Vision 2030 and the powerful women she met at the recent Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in Riyadh. “If you’d told me 10 years ago that I’d attend a conference like this in Saudi, I wouldn’t have believed it. The energy, the ambition, the caliber of these women — it’s breathtaking.”
She is equally proud of BAT’s efforts in the region. “We’re investing in AI hubs, recruiting more women in STEM, and running wellness initiatives like SoViva and engagement platforms like Majlis. Forty percent of our senior leadership in the Middle East are women. We’re reshaping perceptions.”
Outside of the boardroom, Benchikh is also reshaping norms. She co-hosts C-suite women’s dinners in London to connect aspiring female leaders with established executives. “Mentorship is great,” she says, “but sponsorship — saying someone’s name when they’re not in the room — that’s what changes lives.”
When I ask about role models, she reflects: “Public figures can inspire, but it’s the people around me — my husband and my son — who shaped me.” She speaks of her husband’s quiet integrity — someone who always does the right thing, no matter the cost, and gives for the joy of giving, never expecting anything in return.
“That kind of quiet integrity has had a profound influence on me. And my son — he has this joy for life and dares to live it to the fullest. He’s deeply sensitive and altruistic, always bringing out the best in people. He infects you with his positivity and belief in the power of dreams. He wants to be an NBA player — and lives every day like it’s already true.”
Words of wisdom
If she could give advice to her younger self, it would be this: “Take up space. Ask for more. Dare sooner. I tried too hard to fit in. I should’ve just gone for it.”
Our conversation ends not with numbers or metrics, but with a quote Benchikh treasures: “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life.” In that, Benchikh embodies not just transformation, but the grace and grit required to lead it.
