Cigarette distributor Carreras Limited has hired Christopher Brown as its next corporate and regulatory affairs manager.

Brown, who takes up the position on July 20, fills the vacancy created two months ago when Rhys Campbell transferred to Trinidad to work with Carisma Marketing Services Limited, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco.

BAT owns 51 per cent of Carreras.

Come the end of July, Carreras will also see another shift in management when marketing deployment manager Melissa Sylvester, who is here on secondment from Trinidad, returns to her homeland.

Managing director of Carreras, Michael Bernard, said Brown was the top applicant of four shortlisted candidates for the corporate affairs position.

Chief responsibility

Brown will be chiefly responsible for coordinating the company's internal and external communication, and management of regulatory issues, while ensuring that the company's corporate brand and reputation are not diluted.

Brown, who is no stranger to the public, his last post being adviser to the former Minister of National Security Peter Phillips, has over 10 years' experience in senior management.

Brown would already be fairly intimate with the inner workings of government.

At one time, he was on track to enter representational politics on a People's National Party ticket in St Mary, but pulled back in 2006 in what reports said then was a sudden and unexpected move after two years of preparing to run for a seat in Parliament.

He is also said to have 10 years' of senior management experience.

A Calabar High School alumni, Brown holds a master of philosophy degree and a postgraduate diploma in international relations from the Institute of International Relations in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as a bachelor of science degree in management and economics from the University of the West Indies, Mona.

BAT is majority owner of Carreras and sister cigarette manufacturer West Indies Tobacco Company in Trinidad.

Sylvester on return to Trinidad will assume the post of trade, marketing and distribution manager.

Her marketing functions at Carreras will revert to Rohan Bennett, the present trade marketing and distribution manager.

Carreras is recruiting additional staff for that division as sales wane in a poor economy.

"It is mainly to improve capability to serve customers, to provide more frequent and better service," said Bernard.

He said that the team has already been boosted by six new members, with another six to come on board this year.

sabrina.gordon@gleanerjm.com