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May 24, 2019

Philip Morris International Spearheads Drive for Change on International Women’s Day

‘Fair Share’ Conference Engages Male Employees to Drive Diversity

LAUSANNE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 7, 2019-- Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) is honoring International Women’s Day by hosting “Fair Share: The Future of Communicating with Women,” a conference to help improve gender bilingual communications. Flipping the script on traditional events hosted on this day, the summit will bring the company’s men together to hear from female thought leaders who will present insights on themes of equality, gender and new strategies for engaging diverse conversations with internal and external audiences.

“At PMI, we talk about giving everyone a ‘fair share,’ not just women. This is a discussion that's vital to everyone—and we recognize that to empower women, we must engage and empower men to be advocates for equality,” said Marian Salzman, senior vice president Global Communications, PMI. “As we work to make our smoke-free vision a reality, it’s crucial that we open conversations with all communities and better equip our employees with the tools to do so.”

The conference speaks volumes for PMI’s efforts toward gender equality and creating a more inclusive and diverse business. It ties in with the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, “Balance for Better,” which represents a call to action for driving gender balance across the world. The Fair Share conference and other initiatives will help amplify the work PMI is doing to create a more inclusive and diverse business for employees and consumers.

The Fair Share conference features three of PMI’s female executives as well as the following globally recognized speakers:

  • Dondeena Bradley, whose expertise lies in female-focused product development and the power of peer networks. She’s a wellness expert who has developed products, new ventures and female-focused marketing at companies from Weight Watchers to PepsiCo to Johnson & Johnson.
  • Lera Boroditsky, who will explore how language shapes the way we think about gender and culture. She is a cognitive scientist who previously served on the faculty at MIT; her TEDTalk on rethinking how language influences bias, gender and our relationships has exceeded 8 million views.
  • Morgwn Rimel, discussing how to communicate across gender through emotional intelligence. A cultural strategist who’s been active with the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society for almost a decade, she finds creative ways to make positive, constructive cultural change.

To further illustrate its drive for change, PMI is the first business in the world to earn global EQUAL-SALARY certification. The certification—earned via third-party verification—confirms PMI’s commitment to equality and is an important milestone on the road to creating an inclusive, gender-balanced workplace. Inclusion and diversity are at the core of PMI’s business strategy, as key enablers for the company’s transformation from a traditional cigarette manufacturer to a science and technology-minded company with a pipeline of innovative smoke-free products.

Together, these join other new and ongoing activations to represent the important milestones on PMI’s journey toward becoming an organization that better represents its worldwide constituency. For more information about PMI’s initiatives on diversity, inclusion and gender balance, visit www.pmi.com/inclusionanddiversity.

Philip Morris International: Building 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, smoke-free products and associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the U.S. 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. PMI's smoke-free IQOS product portfolio includes heated tobacco and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of Dec. 31, 2018, PMI estimates that approximately 6.6 million adult smokers around the world have already stopped smoking and switched to PMI’s heated tobacco product, which is currently available for sale in 44 markets in key cities or nationwide under the IQOS brand. For more information, see our PMI and PMIScience websites.

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Source: Philip Morris International

Lisa McCooey
Philip Morris International Media Office
T. +41 (0) 79 253 6142
Lisa.McCooey@pmi.com