Business Wire

Philip Morris International Announces New Regional Leadership

18.6.2026 10:00:00 CEST | Business Wire | Press release

Share

The appointments strengthen the company’s leadership pipeline as it moves towards a smoke‑free future

Philip Morris International (PMI) (NYSE: PM) announced a series of regional leadership appointments that support its ongoing shift toward a smoke‑free future.

Effective August 1, 2026, Marco Hannappel has been appointed President, Europe Region, and Can Kuterdem has been appointed President, Latin America & Canada Region. These appointments build on PMI’s evolved organizational model announced in late 2025, under which Gijs de Best serves as President, South Asia, Indochina, CIS & Middle East & Africa Region, and Vassilis Gkatzelis continues as President East & Southeast Asia, Pacific and PMI Global Travel Retail Region. The four regional presidents report to Frederic de Wilde - CEO of the International Business Unit of PMI and are the key operational leaders for the unit that generates the large majority of total PMI net revenues.

Marco Hannappel takes over the role of President, Europe Region, succeeding Massimo Andolina, who was recently announced as PMI’s Group Chief Financial Officer, both effective August 1, 2026.

Hannappel brings extensive international experience and a strong track record in leading business growth across complex and highly regulated markets. Since joining the company in 2019 as President and Managing Director Italy, he has held several senior leadership roles of increasing responsibility. He later served as Area Vice President Southwest Europe, managing Italy and Iberia, and most recently, as President of the Latin America & Canada Region.

Can Kuterdem is appointed President, Latin America & Canada Region, effective August 1, 2026, succeeding Marco Hannappel.

Kuterdem is a seasoned business leader with strong general management experience and a people-centric leadership approach. Most recently, as Managing Director, Poland, he transformed one of Philip Morris International’s largest European markets into a multi-category business, driving growth and strengthening organizational engagement. Previously, he served as Vice President Strategy & Program Delivery, Europe Region, where he played a central role in shaping the regional strategy and leading a more integrated approach to execution of business-critical initiatives across markets.

Before joining the company in 2020, he built an international career in consulting and technology, including The Boston Consulting Group and Samsung, where he held senior leadership roles across multiple regions.

Gijs de Best was appointed President, South Asia, Indochina, CIS & Middle East & Africa Region in January 2026. He brings more than 20 years of leadership experience at the company, with a strong track record of driving business performance through consumer-centricity and a passion for developing teams. He began his career at PMI in 2004 as a financial analyst in the Netherlands and has since held a range of increasingly senior roles across multiple markets and regions, most recently as President, Philippines, and Vice President Strategy & Program Delivery.

Vassilis Gkatzelis continues as President, East & Southeast Asia, Pacific and PMI Global Travel Retail Region, a role he assumed in 2024, with expanded accountabilities for Southeast Asia as of 2026. He oversees a diverse set of markets spanning developed and developing economies, alongside the Global Travel Retail business.

Since joining the company in 2003, Gkatzelis has held a wide range of strategic and operational leadership roles across Europe, the Middle East & Africa, Asia Pacific and the Global Operations Center in Switzerland. He brings a strong track record leading business transformation at scale, and building high-performing organizations, with a focus on external engagement and talent development. Prior to his current role, he served as President Director of PT HM Sampoerna Tbk., PMI’s affiliate listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, as well as Managing Director of Egypt & Levant Cluster, where he led the build-up and scaling of the smoke-free business.

These appointments reflect Philip Morris International’s continued focus on strengthening leadership capabilities as a leading global consumer goods company. Earlier in 2026 Philip Morris International evolved its organizational model and implemented two new primary business units in addition to its wellness unit Aspeya, reporting to Group CEO PMI Jacek Olczak - PMI International under the leadership of Frederic de Wilde, CEO PMI International, and PMI U.S. – under the leadership of Stacey Kennedy, CEO PMI U.S.

Philip Morris International: A Global Smoke-Free Champion

Philip Morris International is a leading international consumer goods company, actively delivering a smoke-free future and evolving its portfolio for the long term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company’s current product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, nicotine pouch, and e-vapor products. Our smoke-free products are available for sale in over 105 markets, and as of December 31, 2025, PMI estimates they were used by over 43 million legal-age consumers around the world, many of whom have moved away from cigarettes or significantly reduced their consumption. The smoke-free business accounted for 43% of PMI’s first-quarter 2026 total net revenues. Since 2008, PMI has invested over $16 billion to develop, scientifically substantiate and commercialize innovative smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise smoke, with the goal of completely ending the sale of cigarettes. This includes the building of world-class scientific assessment capabilities, notably in the areas of pre-clinical systems toxicology, clinical and behavioral research, as well as post-market studies. Following a robust science-based review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the marketing of Swedish Match’s General snus and ZYN nicotine pouches and versions of PMI’s IQOS devices and consumables - the first-ever such authorizations in their respective categories. Versions of IQOS devices and consumablesand General snus also obtained the first-ever Modified Risk Tobacco Product authorizations from the FDA. With a strong foundation and significant expertise in life sciences, PMI has a long-term ambition to expand into wellness areas. References to “PMI”, “we”, “our” and “us” mean Philip Morris International Inc., and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260618517768/en/

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Frost & Sullivan 2026 Technology Innovation Leadership Best Practices Recognition for Ohmium International18.6.2026 10:31:00 CEST | Press release

Ohmium International Inc., a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge, high-efficiency, and modular Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzers, has received the 2026 Global Technology Innovation Leadership Recognition for Best Practices in the PEM electrolyzer and green hydrogen industry by Frost & Sullivan. This recognition highlights Ohmium's continued advancement of cutting-edge PEM technology into scalable, real-world hydrogen solutions that address critical energy and industrial challenges across global markets. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the Technology Innovation Leadership Recognition for Best Practices to organizations that demonstrate exceptional achievement in leveraging technology to drive market transformation and measurable business impact. The firm evaluates companies across two core dimensions: technology leverage and business impact. Ohmium excelled across both measures, demonstrating commitment to innovation, stage gate efficiency, commercialization, and applic

Infobip Ranked in Top 25 of Fortune's Europe's Most Innovative Companies 202618.6.2026 10:11:00 CEST | Press release

A strong result highlighting Infobip’s momentum in European tech innovation Global AI-first cloud communications platform Infobip has been ranked in the top 25 of Fortune's Europe's Most Innovative Companies 2026, marking a strong rise on this year's list. The announcement was made at VivaTech in Paris. Last year, Infobip entered Fortune's inaugural ranking at number 68. This year, it climbs to 16! The Fortune Europe's Most Innovative Companies list, in partnership with the global research firm Statista, evaluates companies based on innovation culture, product development, and process improvements. Infobip's rise reflects the accelerating momentum behind its AI-first strategy, including the launch of Infobip AgentOS, its AI-native fully managed solution that orchestrates autonomous AI-driven customer journeys at scale. Infobip's innovation credentials are further reinforced by its role in Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) for Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and

Blooming Future Launches Operations as Part of Braskem’s Expanding Sustainable Fleet18.6.2026 10:00:00 CEST | Press release

Designed for long-range transport of essential raw materials, Blooming Future strengthens Braskem’s commitment to safer, more efficient, and lower-emission shipping. Braskem (B3: BRKM3, BRKM5, and BRKM6; NYSE: BAK; LATIBEX: XBRK), the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas and global leader in the production of biopolymers on an industrial scale announces today that Braskem Trading & Shipping (BT&S) has launched the maiden voyage of Blooming Future, a next-generation LR1 chemical and product oil tanker designed to transport essential raw materials with greater efficiency and a lower carbon footprint. The vessel was formally named at a ceremony in China on May 8. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260618295583/en/ Braskem's Blooming Future “Blooming Future will carry naphtha to support our industrial production, while operating at optimized speed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. The vessel is as wid

New Industry Study Finds Quantum Computing Has Entered a Capability Era, With Early Movers Building an Advantage Later Entrants Will Struggle to Close18.6.2026 09:00:00 CEST | Press release

State of Quantum 2026, based on tracked transaction data, a survey of 107 practitioners, and 19 interviews, finds 89% of enterprises surveyed are now hands-on with quantum but only 3% have reached scaled deployment, as the market shifts from accessing quantum systems to building capability around them. Quantum computing has moved past the question of whether organizations can access a quantum system and onto whether they can build something useful around one. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260618639340/en/ State of Quantum 2026 is based on independently conducted research and analysis, authored by The Quantum Insider (Resonance), published by IQM Quantum Computers, and supported by OpenOcean. According to the State of Quantum 2026, the fourth annual industry study published today by IQM Quantum Computers, which is nearing its planned listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market through its merger with Real Asse

Climate Clock Public Art Trail Opens Across Oulu18.6.2026 08:45:00 CEST | Press release

A major contemporary public art trail exploring climate, time and nature has opened across the Oulu region in Northern Finland as part of Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture. The permanent Climate Clock art trail brings together seven internationally recognised artists in site-specific works across forests, rivers, coastlines, urban environments and cultural heritage sites. The works reflect on climate change and different perceptions of time through sculpture, ceramics, natural materials, sound and kinetic forms. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260617018262/en/ Antti Laitinen – You Are Here (2026), Maija Laitinen/Oulu2026 Already attracting international attention, Climate Clock offers a new public art experience connecting art, science and the northern landscape across the region. The trail opened to the public on 13 June 2026 across six locations: Yli-Ii, Oulu city centre, Ylikiiminki, Oulunsalo, Kiiminki

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye