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Like the Lloyds TSB appointment, he was approached about RHM without having met any of his future codirectors. “When Lloyds TSB asked me if I wanted to join their board, my first question was to say to them: ‘Yes, I think I’ll find that very interesting because I’d love the opportunity to learn more about the banking and financial services business, as long as you people know that I know nothing about banking’,” he says.

“And Maarten (van den Bergh) laughed and said: ‘Of course we know that you know nothing about banking but we have asked you to join us because hopefully you’ve got some good common sense business experience, which is what we’re after’.”

Those who know du Plessis describe him as approachable, enthusiastic, sharp and “scrupulous financially”. At his first annual meeting as BAT chairman, he politely but firmly refused to enter into debates with the company’s critics, something his predecessor, Martin Broughton, seemed to relish.

Chas Manso, analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, said that du Plessis’s appointment was well received.

“Martin Broughton was regarded as more expansionist, generally looking to expand BAT’s global presence via acquisition,” Manso says. “Jan’s . . . was more internal. He dampened down the M&A speculation by saying it was difficult to make adequate returns on acquisitions at current share price levels. Jan stressed that BAT had a lot of scope to improve its existing businesses and he set a target of growing earnings by high single-digits on average over the long term.”

Du Plessis says he will keep an open mind about more appointments but is content “for the next 12 months”.

The year ahead, though, will provide challenges. RHM is a fledgeling listed company and fighting for market credibility. Lloyds TSB is regarded as the weakest of the big banks.

Having spent the best part of this year acquainting himself with RHM’s operations, du Plessis is already organising a whirlwind trip of Lloyds TSB’s empire. “I’m having real fun,” he says.

Du Plessis says that the two new roles, coupled with his BAT chair, will keep him busy for at least the next 12 months. Thereafter? “At the moment I am quite happy with what I do (but) I will keep an open mind,” he says.

POWER CV

Name: Jan du Plessis

Age: 51

Born: Cape Town, South Africa

Home: Buckinghamshire

Education: University of Stellenbosch, BCom (law), LLB; CA (SA)

Career: joined Rembrandt Group in 1981 as international finance manager. Played key role in demerging Rembrandt’s non-South African assets and listing them in Switzerland as Richemont. As Richemont finance director instrumental in selling Rothmans tobacco unit into BAT. Joined BAT as non-executive director in 1999, became chairman in 2004. Became chairman of RHM, the foods group, and non-executive director of Lloyds TSB this year

Pay: £295,555 BAT (2004); £150,000 RHM (2005); min £50,000 Lloyds TSB (2005)

Hobbies: Skiing, scuba diving, hiking and golf

Marital status: married, three children

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