A “Winnowing” Process

Scuderia Ferrari is partnering with PMI to communicate the companies’ dedication to rigorous science and innovation for a better future.

A “Winnowing” Process

Scuderia Ferrari will team with PMI to transform their joint mission.

Staff Report

PMI has begun a new global initiative to transform the mission of Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) with a clever name derived from the traditional process of “winnowing wheat,” that is, separating wheat from its chaff.

In connection with its partner Scuderia Ferrari, PMI unveiled the new initiative—Mission Winnow—in Japan in early October to create engagement around the role of science, technology and innovation as a powerful force for good in any industry.

The goals of Mission Winnow are, said André Calantzopoulos, Chief Executive Officer of PMI:

• To let the world know how the company has changed,

• To share pride in the transformation that the people of PMI have achieved;

• To communicate the companies’ dedication to rigorous science and innovation that can lead to a better future.

“We will use this global platform as a window into the new PMI and to challenge preconceptions, as we know there are many who may have doubts about us and our motivations.”

PMI’s partnership with Scuderia Ferrari provides the opportunity to build on many encouraging individual conversations with critics and supporters alike and reach out to a broad audience to engage at scale.

The word “winnow” describes the meticulous and disciplined route that PMI is following to achieve its ambitious vision of a smoke-free future. The word—and PMI’s vision—is about focus, transparency, care and single-minded determination.

“Winnow” originally referred to the removal of chaff from grain, but PMI notes that it has come to be used more broadly to describe the separating out of the unnecessary and the extraction of the good and the distinguishing of what is true from what is inaccurate or misleading.

Scuderia Ferrari is the ideal partner for Mission Winnow because of the team’s passion for innovation and its drive to constantly improve in the quest for victory, said Miroslaw Zielinski, President Science & Innovation at PMI.

“Through Mission Winnow, one can see that the two companies operate in very different fields but have a great deal in common. Success hinges on the passion of their people for the highest standards of performance in pursuit of overarching ambitions.”

Mission Winnow does not and will never advertise or promote any tobacco products, said Zielinski. “Mission Winnow is not about what, it is about how and why.”

Why PMI supports FCTC on illicit trade

PMI recently responded to the WHO FCTC Protocol to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco products. A condensed version of the response follows.

If tackling illicit tobacco trade is to be done effectively, strategies must be articulated and they must address the following six points:

• Product tracking and tracing based on open and recognized international standards.

• Effective control and monitoring of Free Trade Zones.

• Enhanced international cooperation.

• Application of deterrent sanctions to illicit traders.

• Licensing regimes that focus on tackling illicit trade.

• Meaningful due diligence and record-keeping.

With approximately one out of 10 cigarettes smoked globally stemming from illicit trade, parties to the protocol should take a collaborative approach to tackling the problem of illicit trade. Available on PMI’s website, the position paper proposes effective strategies for tackling the illicit tobacco trade, aligned with key provisions of the Protocol.

“The Protocol is a significant and crucial global tool to tackle the serious issue of the illicit tobacco trade,” said Alvise Giustiniani, Vice President of Illicit Trade Prevention at PMI. “We strongly support the objectives and principles of the Protocol, as well as the Meeting of the Parties, which is an important step in tackling the multi-faceted and highly complex problem of illicit tobacco trade.”

The PMI position paper says the Protocol brings together countries against the scourge of illicit tobacco trade. It will have a key role to play in helping to defeat the illegal tobacco market. Collaboration will be a key element of its success: national governments, international organizations and civil society working to fight illicit tobacco trade together.

Comprehensive information about PMI’s efforts and initiatives in the fight against illicit tradecan be viewed on the dedicated website the company maintains at StopIllegal.com. [TI]

AN OPINION PIECE FROM PMI

A Strategy for Ending Tobacco Consumption by Young People

By André Calantzopoulos, Chief Executive Officer, PMI

For years, young people have been rightly warned

not to smoke cigarettes. …[Now] we must be emphatic that youth should not use any nicotine-containing product. Nicotine is addictive. it is not risk-free, and it poses particular risks for adolescents.

I’m the CEO of Philip Morris International (PMI) and a parent. I am clear with my children: Do not use any nicotine-containing products.

Alongside parents, public health professionals and regulators, makers of tobacco and nicotine products must do their part.

At PMI, we envision a smoke-free future—a world without cigarettes. For the hundreds of millions of men and women globally who will otherwise continue to smoke, our goal is to switch them to nicotine-containing products that are substantiated as better choices than continuing to smoke.

Globally, our innovative products are available in more than 40 countries. To be clear, we do not sell or market any tobacco or other nicotine containing products in the U.S., but we have submitted applications to the FDA seeking authorization to commercialize our electrically-heated tobacco product.

We know that great care must be taken to achieve our smoke-free goal. The focus must be on providing better choices to the men and women who smoke today, including the 40 million Americans who do so.