INTERVIEW

VIEW Interview

INTER PMI’s Purpose

An Interview with Jacek Olczak, Chief Operating Offi cer, Philip Morris International (PMI)

about, smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes. These otherwise continue smoking. There is still a smoke-free products contain nicotine and are not lot of confusion in the market. risk-free. However, science supports that these How do you defi ne PMI today? products have the potential to be a better choice PMI is a science and technology-minded than continued smoking. company developing science-backed smoke- The company has invested more than $6 bil- free products for adult smokers who would oth- Jacek Olczak lion over the past decade to develop and com- erwise continue smoking. Today, this company mercialize a portfolio of scientifi cally substantiated has the consumer spelled with a capital C since EDITORS’ NOTE Jacek Olczak became Chief smoke-free products. The history of commercial the consumer is in the center. It is a science Operating Offi cer in January 2018. He joined Philip progress is that the better product always replaces company because science is needed for our dis- Morris Polska in 1993 as Manager, Finance and the previous one. Even in a company that through- cussions with regulators, but even more impor- Administration. After serving as Manager, Internal out most of its history primarily commercialized tantly, science is needed to help consumers to Controls, in 1995 in , , cigarettes, radical change is wholly possible. make the right decision. Adult smokers deserve Olczak returned to where he held vari- How critical was it to communicate this the right to be properly informed as to what the ous positions in fi nance, sales, and operations. transformation internally and to engage better choices are. I think that every dollar over Between 2002 and 2006, he worked extensively PMI’s employees in the process? the last decade that we have invested behind across Central Europe and the Baltic States, and in I am a big believer that the best way to science, and this is billions of dollars, was the 2004 was appointed Managing Director, Poland communicate with your own people is by sim- best investment we could have made because and Baltic States. In October 2006, he became ply talking to them. You obviously can send when we talk with our consumers, the science Managing Director, and , and a memo. You can do a town hall. You can moves the discussion away from emotional and from April 2009 until July 2012, he served as make yourself available through various means into a fact-based direction. President of PMI’s Region. From of internal communication or external commu- Are you able to take moments to refl ect August 2012 until his current appointment, he nication, but nothing will replace a normal face on PMI’s evolution and to appreciate what held the role of Chief Financial Offi cer. Prior to to face conversation. PMI has become? joining PMI, he worked for BDO Binder in London I personally spend a lot of time making I joined PMI 26 years ago. When you and . Olczak holds a master’s degree in myself available to anyone here regardless of the have been at a company for as long as I have economics from the University of Lodz, Poland. rank, function or position. We’re moving the com- and you realize that you are in a position to pany into truly unchartered waters and our people address the one big fundamental problem COMPANY BRIEF Philip Morris International need and deserve to know our plans. Other com- the company has – the product – and come (pmi.com) is leading a transformation in the panies have undergone massive transformation, up with a better alternative to cigarettes, that tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and but I haven’t heard about another company who chance to transform the company becomes ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free prod- is saying that it is better to get rid of the prod- life-changing. ucts for adult smokers who would otherwise con- uct that it sells today. We spend an enormous When I joined, I didn’t expect that I would tinue to smoke. With more than 77,000 employees amount of time talking with our people. We are stay here for a quarter of a century. I actually across the globe, PMI is selling products made in in this beautiful constellation at PMI today where thought as a young person at the time, you get their 46 worldwide production facilities to over our human internal values are being aligned with a good job, stay there for two or three years and 150 million consumers in more than 180 markets what the company wants to do. There is a lot of then move to another job in another company. I around the world. support for our mission which is very important fell in love with PMI. Many people ask me what in a transformation of this nature. the recipe is for a fast career. A fast career is not Will you discuss the transformation taking Is there an effective understanding about how quickly you advance in different positions, place at PMI? smoke-free products today and how impor- but how engaging and exciting is the work that PMI’s global business transformation is tant is it for PMI to continue to educate the you’re doing for the company. about delivering on our vision to create a smoke- market? Some people count the days or weeks until free future. For us, this means replacing cigarettes When I see negativism around PMI and our they retire, but not me. When that time comes, as quickly as possible with scientifi cally substanti- new mission, I always give the benefi t of the doubt I will miss one of the best parts of my life. I ated smoke-free products that are a much bet- that the other party maybe didn’t have the time to am not a morning person, but I do wake up in ter alternative for all adults who would otherwise look into the science or maybe they’re still judging the morning with satisfaction knowing that I’m continue smoking. us based on the past or maybe we have not done coming to PMI. Despite the best efforts of governments to an effective job communicating with them. It’s not about the money or the perks. I curb smoking, the World Health Organization It is our job to continue talking, present- am living a fulfi lling life and there is a lot of estimates that there will be as many smokers in ing, meeting, and being transparent and lis- energy and drive in the company to accom- 2025 – around 1.1 billion – as there are today. tening to our audience. One by one, we will plish our smoke-free future vision. When I go Our position is that adult smokers who do continue to share our view that harm reduc- on vacation, I enjoy my time with my family, not quit should have access to, and information tion is the best approach for those who would but I miss the offi ce.• 18 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2020 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. VOLUME 43, NUMBER 1