Guy Meldrum has not meant to keep a lower profile in his first six months as president and chief executive of Reynolds American Inc. However, the combination of international travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic and becoming acquainted with British American Tobacco Plc's largest subsidiary has kept his availability limited since September. Before becoming BAT's second appointment at the helm of Reynolds, Meldrum served as regional director of its Asia-Pacific and Middle East division. Joe Biden set a cautiously optimistic tone as he laid out virus recovery goals in his first prime time address 50 days into his presidency, and shortly after signing a historic $1.9 trillion dollar pandemic relief package.