Dan Carr Adds CEO Stripes at ITG Brands

Dan Carr, the former president of General Cigar Co., has been named president and chief executive officer of ITG Brands, LLC, a subsidiary of Imperial Brands, plc, which also owns Altadis U.S.A. ITG is the company’s U.S. cigarette, smokeless tobacco, little cigar and e-cigarette division.

Carr will succeed David Taylor, who has announced his retirement effective January 31, 2018.

“This step is the culmination of a long succession planning process,” Taylor said in a press release. “Dan was recruited for this position based on his extensive leadership experience in the tobacco industry and he has spent the last year as president learning the complexities of our business operations.”

After being dismissed from his role as president of General Cigar Co. in Nov. 2015, Carr was named president of ITG Brands in Nov. 2016, a role in which he has led the company’s manufacturing, sales and marketing teams, according to a press release. The company called it “a successful year…delivering strong productivity results and efficiencies,” with gains made in both volume and share with the company’s premium cigarette brands. The announcement went onto say that ITG’s mass market cigar portfolio became the fastest growing in the industry.

“David’s leadership was vital in the company becoming a viable competitor in the U.S. tobacco industry in only two and a half years,” Carr said in a statement. “He has laid the foundation for our success and sustainability for the future, and it is truly an honor to follow him in our next phase of growth.

“I am thrilled to lead this world-class group of talented individuals in further elevating our iconic brands, building upon our superior customer engagement and ensuring that we continue to collaboratively transform and work efficiently across our business.”

Image courtesy of ITG Brands, LLC.