Key Points
- Andy Parton has left BAT and founded Destreza, a London-based AI-native marketing consultancy launched in 2026.
- Destreza says Parton was most recently Global Head of Content across BAT's Vuse, Velo and glo brands and previously Global Brand Lead for Vuse Go.
- BAT reported £3.621 billion in New Category revenue in 2025, equal to 14.1% of Group revenue.
- Destreza's model combines specialist AI agents with a senior human practitioner responsible for diagnosis, strategic decisions and final recommendations.
2Firsts
September 22, 2026
Andy Parton has left British American Tobacco and launched Destreza, an independent London-based consultancy focused on the use of artificial intelligence in consumer-brand strategy and marketing operations, according to a company announcement on September 21.
Destreza said Parton founded the business in May 2026. Its services cover brand strategy, AI operating models, marketing capability and agency configuration.
Former Global Content Lead Across Vuse, Velo and glo
According to Destreza, Parton worked at BAT from 2021 to 2026 and was most recently Global Head of Content for its New Category portfolio, with work spanning Vuse, Velo and glo.
He had previously served as Global Brand Lead for Vuse Go. Destreza says Parton worked on the brand's premiumisation strategy and applied AI across consumer insight, content strategy, creative development and market adaptation.
The consultancy also says Parton led a 2026 programme to rebuild global content strategies across Vuse, Velo and glo using an agentic-AI workflow for research, strategic development and creative work. These project descriptions come from Parton and Destreza; BAT has not separately published detailed disclosures on the specific programmes.
Before joining BAT, Parton worked at Diageo. In 2019, he helped lead the launch of “What's Your Whisky,” an AI-based whisky recommendation platform built around consumer taste preferences. Destreza says the tool has since reached more than one million consumers.
BAT Generated £3.621 Billion From New Categories in 2025
The three brands covered by Parton's previous content role sit within BAT's New Categories business.
BAT reported £3.621 billion in New Category revenue in 2025, representing 14.1% of Group revenue and an increase of 7% from the previous year.
Vapour revenue totaled £1.542 billion. BAT said Vuse retained global value-share leadership in tracked channels, although Vapour performance was affected by illicit disposable products in the U.S. and by regulatory and excise changes in markets including the UK, Poland and France.
Modern Oral was one of BAT's faster-growing New Categories in 2025. The company reported a 47.4% increase in Modern Oral revenue, driven by Velo.
BAT also continued the rollout of premium products including Vuse Ultra, glo Hilo and Velo Shift as it increased investment in its smokeless portfolio.
Destreza Builds Consulting Model Around Senior Adviser and AI Agents
Destreza describes itself as an “AI-native marketing consultancy.”
Under its operating model, a senior practitioner remains responsible for diagnosing the business problem, making strategic choices and approving the final recommendation, while specialist AI agents carry out research, analysis, brand and campaign strategy, creative development, evaluation and market adaptation.
The consultancy calls this structure the “Destreza Operating Model” and uses what it describes as an “Agentic Council” to challenge assumptions and review work from multiple specialist perspectives.
Destreza currently offers three engagement formats: Survey, a short diagnostic project; Shift, a defined transformation programme; and Focus, a six-to-12-month advisory relationship.
It also plans to launch “The Playbook for AI Brand Building” in late September, a ten-stage framework aimed at founders and lean marketing teams.
AI Marketing in Nicotine Operates Under Added Compliance Constraints
Parton's move takes marketing methods developed in a highly regulated consumer-products environment into the broader consulting market.
Unlike many mainstream consumer categories, marketing for vaping, nicotine-pouch and heated products can be subject to age restrictions, advertising rules, product-specific regulation and limits on health-related claims that differ by market.
That means the use of AI for consumer research, creative development and market-by-market adaptation still requires human review and compliance controls.
In Destreza's description of its BAT-related work, AI-generated analysis and creative development did not itself determine what reached the market. Packaging, claims and campaign work remained subject to senior human judgment, regulatory review and brand-strategy checks.
BAT has also been adding more digital and connected capabilities to its New Category portfolio, including products such as Vuse Ultra and glo Hilo, while annual New Category revenue has risen above £3.6 billion.
Parton's new venture turns part of the AI-enabled marketing experience developed around Vuse, Velo and glo into an independent consulting model, as artificial intelligence moves beyond content generation into brand strategy, consumer research and marketing operating systems.
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Cover Image: Destreza / Pressat
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