Akhil Bhardwaj

Akhil was appointed to JTI’s Executive Committee as Senior Vice President Corporate Strategy and Business Development in September 2021. He is responsible for the development of JTI’s strategic plans and driving future growth opportunities both organically and externally.

Akhil has more than a decade of strategy, business development and general management experience within the industry.

He joined JTI in 2009 in the Corporate Strategy and Business Development function in Geneva, before being transferred to the Hong Kong office to help assist grow JTI’s presence in the Asia Pacific region.

In 2014, Akhil moved into general management by leading the Thailand market, before being appointed General Manager for Indonesia in 2016. During his time in Indonesia, Akhil led the acquisition and integration of a sizeable business, resulting in leading a workforce in excess of 14,000 employees.

Prior to his current role, Akhil returned to Geneva in 2019 to lead the Business Development function.

Akhil joined JTI from the Investment Banking industry where he spent almost a decade advising multinational corporations and private equity in the FMCG sector.

He holds a Master of Science in Biochemical Research from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine London, and qualified as a chartered accountant at EY in their Consumer M&A team.