Our Leadership Team
André Calantzopoulos
Chief Executive Officer
MR. calantzopoulos WAS appointed Chief executive officer in may 2013.
Mr. Calantzopoulos was named Chief Executive Officer and was elected to the Board of Directors on May 8, 2013. He served as Chief Operating Officer from our spin-off on March 28, 2008 to May 8, 2013. Mr. Calantzopoulos was PMI’s President and Chief Executive Officer between 2002 and the date of the spin-off. After joining the company in 1985, he worked extensively across Central Europe, including as Managing Director of PM Poland and President of the Eastern European Region.
Mr. Calantzopoulos holds a degree in electrical engineering from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne and an MBA from INSEAD in France.
Drago Azinovic
President, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa Region and PMI Duty Free
Mr. Azinovic was named President, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa Region AND PMI Duty Free in July 2015.
Mr. Azinovic joined Philip Morris Asia Limited in March 2009 as Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Philip Morris International’s Asia Region. He became President of Philip Morris Japan in July 2011, a position he held until July 31, 2012, when he was named President of the European Union Region.
From 1997 until 2009 Mr. Azinovic held a variety of positions at Altadis and, after the acquisition of Altadis in 2008, at Imperial Tobacco. Previously, Mr. Azinovic had worked at Procter & Gamble.
Mr. Azinovic received a law degree from the University of Alcalá in Spain and an MBA from Saint Louis University in Missouri (USA).
Werner Barth
Senior Vice President Marketing & Sales
Mr. Barth became Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales in July 2015.
Mr. Barth became Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales on July 1, 2015. He is responsible for PMI’s global marketing strategies and sales activities.
Mr. Barth joined PMI in 1990 as a Trainee in marketing at Philip Morris Germany. From 1992 until 2002 he held positions in marketing, product management, brand supervision, and group management. In 2002 Mr. Barth became Marketing Director for Philip Morris Spain S.L. and two years later Sales Director for Philip Morris Germany. He was then appointed Managing Director Philip Morris Benelux. In 2011, Mr. Barth became Managing Director Philip Morris Germany, a position he held until his appointment in July 2015.
Mr. Barth holds a degree in economics from Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich.
Charles Bendotti
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Mr. BENDOTTI was named Senior Vice President, Human Resources in JANUARY 2017.
Mr. Bendotti joined Philip Morris International in Lausanne in 1999 as Business Analyst. From 2000 until 2006, he served in various cross-functional roles in Marketing & Sales and Business Development in different markets of the Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa and the Latin America & Canada Regions. Mr. Bendotti then became Managing Director Ecuador & Bolivia, followed by his appointment as Vice President Human Resources for the Latin America & Canada Region in 2008. In 2012, he was named Vice President Human Resources Asia, a position he held until December 2016.
Mr. Bendotti holds a master’s degree in international relations, economy, and law from the Graduate Institute of International & Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland, and an Executive MBA from HEC Paris.
Patrick Brunel
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Mr. Brunel was named Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer in October 2011.
Mr. Brunel became Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer in October 2011 and is responsible for PMI’s worldwide Information Services organization.
Mr. Brunel joined Philip Morris International’s Finance Department in 1992 as a financial analyst. Over the following years he held a number of management positions in finance and information systems at various affiliates across the Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (EEMA), and European Union regions. From 2007 until the end of September 2011 he served as Director of Finance, Administration, and Information Systems for PMI’s affiliates in Russia.
Prior to joining Philip Morris International, Mr. Brunel worked for Horus Informatique and I.D. Partners as an external information-services consultant, developing finance systems for Philip Morris International’s EEMA Region.
Mr. Brunel holds a master’s degree in science from the University of Paris VII.
Frank de Rooij
VICE PRESIDENT TREASURY AND CORPORATE FINANCE
MR. DE ROOIJ WAS NAMED VICE PRESIDENT TREASURY AND CORPORATE FINANCE IN DECEMBER 2016.
Mr. de Rooij joined Philip Morris Holland in 1987 as Assistant Treasurer. From 1994 to 1998 he served as Assistant Cash Manager at the European Treasury Center of Philip Morris Companies in Zug, Switzerland. Between 1998 and 2001, Mr. de Rooij worked as Regional Treasurer for the Philip Morris Eastern European region. He then held various positions in PMI’s Group Treasury from 2002 to 2013, before he became Director Treasury and Corporate Finance. In December 2016, Mr. de Rooij was appointed Vice President Treasury and Corporate Finance.
Mr. de Rooij holds a degree in business economics of the University of Breda (H.E.A.O.), The Netherlands.
Frederic de Wilde
President, European Union Region
Mr. de Wilde became President, European Union Region in July 2015.
Mr. de Wilde joined Philip Morris International in 1992 as Brand Manager L&M for Philip Morris Belgium. In 1996 he became Marketing Director for Philip Morris Spain S.L. and four years later Sales Director of Spain. He was then named Managing Director of Philip Morris Greece, where he led the acquisition and integration of the Papastratos Cigarette Manufacturing Company. In 2005 Mr. de Wilde became Managing Director of PMI’s affiliate in Italy, and from January 2008 until the end of June 2011, he held the position of President, Philip Morris Japan KK. In July 2011 Mr. de Wilde became Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales.
Prior to joining PMI, Mr. de Wilde worked at Colgate Palmolive, Belgium from 1991 to 1992 as Regional Sales Manager.
Mr. de Wilde holds a degree in economics from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and a master degree in management from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Marc S. Firestone
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Mr. Firestone was appointed Senior Vice President AND General Counsel in April 2012.
Prior to his appointment as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of PMI, from 1988 to 2003 Mr. Firestone held positions in the law departments of Philip Morris Companies Inc. and Philip Morris International Inc.
Mr. Firestone is a cofounder and chairman of the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession; adjunct professor of law at New York Law School; a frequent speaker on international antitrust law, diversity, and in-house legal practice; and a recipient of the Director’s Roundtable Distinguished General Counsel award.
Before joining PMI in 2012, Mr. Firestone was Executive Vice President, Corporate and Legal Affairs and General Counsel of Kraft Foods Inc., where he served since 2003.
Mr. Firestone began his legal career as an attorney at Arnold & Porter in Washington, D.C. He received a BA, magna cum laude, in romance languages and philosophy from Washington & Lee University and a JD, magna cum laude, from Tulane University School of Law.
Paul Janelle
Vice President Corporate Planning & Business Development
MR. JANELLE WAS NAMED VICE PRESIDENT CORPORATE PLANNING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN DECEMBER 2016.
Mr. Janelle joined Philip Morris International in 1991 as a Finance Trainee. Over the following two decades, he served in a variety of roles in Finance in Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Russia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. He was appointed Vice President Finance Asia in 2011, before being named President Director of Sampoerna, PMI’s affiliate in Indonesia, in 2012. Mr. Janelle held this position until November 2016.
Mr. Janelle holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Ottawa and a master’s degree in Business Administration and Finance from Webster University Geneva.
Martin King
President, Asia Region
Mr. King was named President, Asia Region in July 2015.
Mr. King joined Philip Morris International in 2003 as Managing Director of Tabaqueira SA, PMI’s Portuguese subsidiary. He was then named Managing Director, Philip Morris Management Co. Ltd in Beijing. Following Philip Morris Indonesia’s acquisition of PT HM Sampoerna Tbk in May 2005, he served as President Director of PT HM Sampoerna Tbk until April 2009. Mr. King was appointed Senior Vice President, Operations in April 2009, and President, Latin America and Canada Region in February 2014.
Prior to joining PMI, Mr. King served in various positions within Philip Morris USA between 1991 and 2003.
A graduate of Harvard University with a bachelor's degree in government, Mr. King also holds an MBA from the Darden School, University of Virginia.
Andreas Kurali
Vice President and Controller
Mr. Kurali became Vice President and Controller in March 2015.
Mr. Kurali joined Philip Morris Germany in September 1993 as finance trainee and served in subsequent years at our German affiliate in various finance roles with increasing responsibilities, including planning and budgeting, fiscal affairs, accounting and reporting, treasury, and tax. In early 2003 he became Director, Finance and Information Systems for our Worldwide Duty Free business, based in Switzerland, followed by an assignment in our Latin American Region as Director Finance, Mexico from 2005 to 2008. Subsequently, Mr. Kurali was appointed Vice President, Finance for our Latin America & Canada Region, a position he held until 2012 before transferring as Vice President, Finance to our Asia Region where he worked until 2014.
Mr. Kurali holds a degree in business administration as Diplom Kaufmann from the University of Mannheim, Germany.
Marco Mariotti
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Mr. Mariotti became Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs in July 2015.
Mr. Mariotti was named Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs on July 1, 2015. In this role, he leads PMI’s regulatory, fiscal, contributions, and communications strategies globally and oversees the company’s efforts to combat illicit tobacco trade.
Since joining PMI in 1997, Mr. Mariotti has held numerous leadership roles in Argentina and across Europe. He started in business development for the EU Region and moved to Italy in 2001 as Director, Finance and then Director, Corporate Affairs. In 2005, Mr. Mariotti became Managing Director, Argentina, followed by his appointment as Managing Director, Italy in 2008. Most recently, Mr. Mariotti served as President, Russia & Belarus, a position he held since September 2010.
Before joining PMI, Mr. Mariotti worked in the financial sector in Switzerland.
Mr. Mariotti studied economics in Lausanne, Switzerland, and holds a master’s degree in business administration from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.
Antonio Marques
Senior Vice President, Operations
Mr. Marques was named Senior Vice President, Operations in February 2014.
Mr. Marques became Senior Vice President, Operations in February 2014, and oversees our operations worldwide. Mr. Marques joined Philip Morris International in 1989 as Leaf Buyer and thereafter held various positions in Leaf and Operations functions before being appointed Vice President, Operations Asia Region in 1998. In 2001, he was appointed Vice President, Leaf and in 2004 Vice President Operations, Europe, a position he held until 2008. From 2008 until February 2014 he oversaw our Global Leaf function as Vice President, Leaf.
Prior to joining PMI, Mr. Marques was Director, Leaf at Tabaqueira E.P. in Portugal.
Mr. Marques holds a master’s degree in agronomy from the University of Lisbon.
Jacek Olczak
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Olczak became Chief Financial Officer in August 2012.
Mr. Olczak joined Philip Morris Polska in 1993 as Manager, Finance and Administration. After serving as Manager Internal Controls in 1995 with Philip Morris International in Lausanne, Mr. Olczak returned to Poland in 1996 where he held various positions in finance, sales, and operations. Between 2002 and 2006, Mr. Olczak worked extensively across Central Europe and the Baltic States, and in 2004 was appointed Managing Director, Poland and Baltic States. In October 2006, he became Managing Director for Germany and Austria, and from April 2009 until July 31, 2012, he served as President of Philip Morris International’s European Union Region, responsible for managing our operations within the EU.
Prior to joining Philip Morris International, Mr. Olczak worked for BDO Binder Sp. z o.o. in London and Warsaw. Mr. Olczak holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Lodz in Poland.
Jeanne Pollès
President, Latin America & Canada Region
Ms. Pollès was appointed President, Latin America & Canada Region in July 2015.
Ms. Pollès became Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs in June 2013, a position she held until July 2015, when she was appointed President, Latin America & Canada Region.
Ms. Pollès began her 26-year career with PMI as a sales representative in France and became Director, Sales in 1998. She served in various roles in France before being appointed Managing Director in 2005.
She earned an undergraduate degree in business and a master’s degree in marketing from the ESIG and is a member of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society.
Jerry Whitson
Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Mr. Whitson was appointed Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary in January 2011.
Mr. Whitson joined PMI in September 2010 as Vice President and Deputy Corporate Secretary. Before joining the company, Mr. Whitson was a Senior Partner at the law firm of Hunton & Williams LLP, where he served for 30 years, lastly as the head of the firm’s Business Practice Group and as a member of its Executive Committee. During his tenure with Hunton & Williams LLP he advised leading multinational corporations on U.S. and international mergers and acquisitions, capital market transactions, corporate governance, and SEC matters. Mr. Whitson has in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and consumer-products industries, having served as outside corporate counsel to our former parent, Altria, for 25 years, including representing that company and its subsidiaries in the acquisitions of Jacobs Suchard, Nabisco, and UST, the Kraft IPO and spin-off, and the spin-off of Philip Morris International.
A member of the New York and Virginia bars, Mr. Whitson earned his law degree from Boston University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Miroslaw Zielinski
President, Reduced-Risk Products
Mr. Zielinski was named President, Reduced-Risk Products in July 2015.
Mr. Zielinski joined Philip Morris International as a merchandiser in 1991 in his native Poland. He progressed through a number of senior sales and marketing positions at Philip Morris Polska before moving to Kiev, when he was appointed Managing Director of PMI’s Ukrainian affiliate in 1999. In 2002 he became Managing Director, Worldwide Duty Free and served as President, Latin America & Canada from April 2003 until March 2010, when he was named President, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa Region and PMI Duty Free.
Mr. Zielinski has a master’s degree in economy and foreign trade from the Warsaw School of Statistics and Economics.
