LAUSANNE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE:PM) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jennifer Motles to the position of Chief Sustainability Officer, effective November 1, 2020. Ms. Motles will succeed current CSO Huub Savelkouls, who will retire after almost three decades of distinguished service.
Ms. Motles will report to the company’s CFO, Emmanuel Babeau, as it is increasingly recognized—by both companies and investors—that fully integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) drivers into business strategy can significantly enhance both the sustainability agendas and financial performance.
“Integrating sustainability and financial strategies is further recognition of our commitment to unsmoking our planet and transforming our company,” said PMI’s CEO, André Calantzopoulos. “It is a logical next step for us, following our Statement of Purpose adopted by our Board and the introduction of Integrated Reporting earlier this year.”
Ms. Motles joined PMI in 2015, when she helped craft PMI’s sustainability strategy, ensuring it was intrinsically linked to the adoption of the company’s vision of delivering a smoke-free future. Since then, she has helped advance PMI’s transformation, honing the company’s sustainability and ESG performance, with a strong focus on shareholder and stakeholder engagement.
“This move outlines that ESG is core to PMI’s performance and success, and further demonstrates PMI’s leadership in sustainability and corporate purpose,” said Mr. Babeau. “Jennifer, with her broad range of international experience and her proven track record in the domain, is the ideal candidate to lead our company’s ambitious sustainability agenda.”
“It is our firm belief that sustainability and business performance do not follow separate paths and narratives. They are fully interrelated and mutually reinforcing and should be organized and presented to all stakeholders in an integrated way,” continued Mr. Babeau.
Addressing the health impacts of cigarettes while working relentlessly to convince the hundreds of millions of men and women who would otherwise continue smoking to switch to noncombustible and therefore smoke-free alternatives is the most important contribution we can make to a sustainable world and to a sustainable PMI. This monumental effort is the cornerstone of PMI’s purpose and business strategy. PMI’s hopes and ambition are that all stakeholders of the company will embrace and support this mission.
Ms. Motles began her career working for the Chilean Office of Drugs & Crime Prevention and Prosecution. She gained international experience working for organizations such as UNCITRAL, UNODC’s Terrorism Prevention Branch, and the UNCTAD/WTO’s International Trade Center. Prior to joining PMI, Jennifer worked for the government of Israel, representing the country as its Human Rights & Humanitarian Affairs Officer at the United Nations and other international organizations.
She holds a JD degree from Universidad de Chile—Escuela de Derecho, and an LLM degree from University of California, Berkeley School of Law, as well as specialized diplomas in Women’s Human Rights, Behavioral Economics, Sustainability, Sustainable Finance, and Political Affairs from IHEID, Harvard Business School, the Harvard School of Public Health, and Stanford University.
“This announcement wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging our gratitude to Huub for his many accomplishments,” added Mr. Calantzopoulos. “In honor of his retirement, we celebrate him and wish him the best in his next chapter.”
Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future
Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, and its shareholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products and associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the United States. PMI ships a version of its smoke-free devices and consumables authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to Altria Group, Inc. for sale in the United States under license. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.
