Universal Corporation has appointed Anubhav Mittal as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective February 17, 2026. This appointment concludes the company’s comprehensive CFO search and follows the announced retirement of current CFO Johan C. Kroner on the same date. Mr. Mittal will report directly to Chairman, President and CEO Preston D. Wigner and immediately assume responsibility for the company’s global finance organization.

Mr. Mittal brings 20 years of expertise in finance, corporate strategy and business transformation within publicly traded consumer products, agriculture and ingredients businesses. Most recently, he served as CFO of ADM Nutrition, overseeing financial strategy and portfolio management for an $8 billion global nutrition, flavors and ingredients segment. His prior roles at Archer Daniels Midland included CFO of the Global Pet Solutions division and Global Head of Business Development and M&A, where he led both organic growth initiatives and acquisitions. Earlier, he held senior finance and strategy positions at the Kellogg Company, supporting a $9 billion global business, and began his career at Unilever in India.

Outgoing CFO Johan C. Kroner will remain with Universal as Senior Vice President until July 1, 2026, providing advisory support to Mr. Wigner and Mr. Mittal to ensure a seamless handover of financial responsibilities. Mr. Wigner highlighted Mr. Mittal’s track record in value creation and international finance as key to advancing Universal’s corporate strategies across its tobacco and agricultural ingredients segments. Mr. Mittal stated his commitment to further strengthening the company’s growth momentum and delivering long-term value for shareholders and stakeholders.