Wednesday, October 24, 2018, 13:00 - 14:00
Andre Calantzopoulos
CEO, Philip Morris International Inc.
Language: Speech and Q&A will be in English
"Transitioning to a Smoke-Free Society"
Tighter regulations across the world and a shrinking smoking population are closing in on tobacco companies worldwide. To stay in business, big tobacco firms are turning toward e-cigarettes and other alternatives to conventional cigarettes.
Philip Morris International (PMI), the maker of Marlboro, is accelerating that move. CEO Andre Calantzopoulos has made a public pledge to quit selling cigarettes in the near future, with eyes on continuing to push PMI's heat-not-burn offerings, chief among them its hit product IQOS.
Competitors have followed PMI's lead in the heat-not-burn category. How do they fit in with the introduction of stricter smoking bans in Japan as the country heads toward the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games? Will the Japanese market ultimately lead a global change for smoking products?
Is PMI's pledge for a smoke-free future to be trusted, or is it only another PR campaign by big tobacco? Calantzopoulos will address these questions when he comes to the FCCJ to talk about the company's plans for Japan and the rest of the world.
Please reserve in advance, 3211-3161 or on the website (still & TV cameras inclusive). Reservations and cancellations are not complete without confirmation.
Professional Activities Committee
