CTC appoints Sarmad Abbasi as MD/ED

Sarmad Abbasi

Fariyha Subhani

Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC) announced a leadership transition with Managing Director and Executive Director Fariyha Subhani set to step down with effect from 30 April, the company said in a disclosure.

The board has appointed Sarmad Abbasi as the new Managing Director and Executive Director, bringing in an international executive with over 15 years of experience across general management, strategic marketing and category transformation.

Abbasi joins CTC from British American Tobacco Iraq, where he served as General Manager from October 2022 to May 2026. In that role, he led the business through a challenging geopolitical environment while delivering strong operational performance.

Prior to this, he held a series of senior leadership positions at Pakistan Tobacco Company, including Head of Brands, Senior Brand Manager and Regional Manager, building experience in brand strategy and market development within the tobacco sector.

Earlier in his career, Abbasi worked at Tetra Pak Pakistan as Marketing Manager for the dairy category, adding exposure to fast-moving consumer goods beyond tobacco.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NU).