Category: People

McKinney Hires Fearon as Chief Scientific Officer

McKinney Regulatory Science Advisors stated today that it has appointed Ian Fearon as its new Chief Scientific Officer.
Fearon will play a pivotal role in enhancing the regulatory science consulting firm’s capabilities and expanding its range of services to clients, according to a press release.
“Fearon brings over 15 years of invaluable experience in the field of Tobacco Harm Reduction, with a specific focus on clinical and behavioral studies of these products,” the release states. “His deep understanding of regulatory submissions in the United States and Europe will enable McKinney Regulatory Science Advisors to provide unparalleled support and guidance to clients navigating the complex regulatory landscape.”
Prior to joining McKinney, Fearon held key leadership positions at several industry organizations such as senior director of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs EMEA at Juul Labs, where he helped advance the scientific understanding of tobacco and nicotine products and supported the company’s premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Fearon also served as the director of Tobacco Research at Celerion, where he contributed to the development of clinical evidence to support regulatory filings, and as principal scientist and head of Clinical Research at British American Tobacco.
Fearon has published more than 60 papers, including more than 20 on tobacco/nicotine product assessment, which generated more than 3,200 citations, according to the release.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ian as our Chief Scientific Officer,” said company CEO Willie McKinney. “His extensive experience and deep knowledge of tobacco and nicotine science and worldwide regulations make him an invaluable asset to our team. With Ian’s guidance, we will continue to provide exceptional scientific and regulatory consulting services to our clients, facilitating their success in bringing innovative consumer products to market.”
As the Chief Scientific Officer at McKinney Regulatory Science Advisors, Fearon will oversee the company’s scientific operations, lead strategic initiatives, and drive innovation in the regulatory science domain, according to the release.
May 31, 2023
CTP Hires Health Equity Advisor
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has hired Charlene Le Fauve as its first senior advisor for health equity.
“Dr. Le Fauve is a behavioral scientist and addiction researcher with 25 years of federal work experience related to health equity and health disparities research,” the CTP wrote on its website. “She has dedicated her career to advancing health equity and the health of underserved and underrepresented populations through research and research workforce development.”
Most recently, Le Fauve served as the senior advisor to the chief officer for scientific workforce diversity at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In this role, she educated national audiences about NIH’s role in scientific workforce diversity and health equity research.
Prior to her NIH role, Le Fauve held various leadership roles, such as the deputy director of disparities research and global mental health at the National Institutes of Mental Health and the senior policy coordinator and lead for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Team at the Department of Health and Human Services.
“Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility are core values of CTP, and efforts are underway to ensure that the full scope of the Center’s work is reflective of these principles. In this new position, which is the first of its kind for any Center at FDA, Dr. Le Fauve will work with all of CTP’s Offices to ensure health equity is integrated into the Center’s programmatic plans and priorities,” the CTP said.
“She also will serve as CTP’s primary representative in a variety of activities that promote and facilitate the reduction of tobacco-related health disparities, including during external meetings, conferences, and presentations.”
May 22, 2023
Pinney Announces New Leadership

Joe Gitchell

Judy Ashworth

Lucy Owen

Robyn Gougelet
Pinney Associates has announced a new leadership team.
Joe Gitchell recently assumed the role of CEO, Lucy Owen is its new president, Judy Ashworth has been promoted to senior vice president, and Robyn Gougelet has been promoted to vice president, health policy and regulatory strategy.
In their new roles, they provide strategic advice and tactical support to help clients reduce regulatory risk and achieve regulatory approval across our four practice areas. Pinney Associates helps clients switch prescription medications to over-the-counter status, supports the clinical and regulatory development of central nervous system-active medications, advises on the development and commercialization of dietary ingredients and supplements, and advances research and policies to minimize the death and disease caused by smoking cigarettes.
Owen guides clients through the complex and dynamic Rx-to-OTC switch regulatory process and specializes in developing and executing science-based regulatory strategies. Ashworth guides the clinical development of CNS-active drugs in a challenging and rapidly evolving regulatory environment.
Gougelet advises clients on public health legislative and regulatory policy efforts, as well as regulatory submissions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“We are thrilled to have promoted these talented individuals to our leadership team,” said John Pinney, founder and chair of Pinney Associates, in a statement. “Each of them brings unique skills and experiences that will help us continue to deliver exceptional value to our clients and better public health.”
“For over thirty years, Pinney Associates has worked hand-in-hand with our clients to overcome their regulatory and policy challenges by identifying root causes and developing innovative solutions based on medical and behavioral science and public health. We look forward to future collaborations with clients to increase access to products that advance individual and public health,” said CEO Joe Gitchell.
Pinney Associates is a science-based health consulting firm with resources and experience in scientific, medical, public health, regulatory and commercial aspects of prescription and consumer healthcare products.
May 17, 2023
New Leadership at Tobacco-Free Kids

Yolonda C. Richardson | Photo: CTFK
Matthew L. Myers is stepping down as the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) effective July 1. The board of directors has appointed Yolonda C. Richardson, currently the organization’s executive vice president for global programs, as the new president and CEO.
“I want to thank Matt for the extraordinary leadership he has provided to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and throughout his long career fighting the tobacco industry,” said Bill Novelli, chair of Tobacco-Free Kids’ board of directors and president of the organization from 1996 to 1999, in a statement. “Matt and his team at Tobacco-Free Kids have contributed enormously to driving down smoking rates to record lows among both youth and adults in the U.S. and to reversing the tide of the global tobacco epidemic.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and I am incredibly proud of what our team and our many partners have accomplished,” said Myers. “Through smart, tenacious advocacy and a commitment to health and social justice, we have helped bring about transformative change in the U.S. and around the world. No one is more qualified than Yolonda Richardson to take this organization to new heights and achieve even greater progress in saving lives not only from tobacco, but also from other critical public health issues.”

No one is more qualified than Yolonda Richardson to take this organization to new heights and achieve even greater progress in saving lives.”
Matthew L. Myers, president, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
“I am deeply honored to be named president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and to continue the work started by Matt Myers and Bill Novelli 27 years ago. There is much to do, but there is also immense opportunity to make large-scale impact,” Richardson said.
The CTFK was created in 1996 with primary funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Since 2006, it has been a partner in the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.
May 16, 2023
BAT Appoints Tadeu Marroco as CEO

Tadeu Marroco | Photo: BAT
BAT has appointed Tadeu Marroco as CEO to succeed Jack Bowles, who is stepping down from the board of directors May 15.
Marroco joined BAT in 1992 and was appointed to the BAT board in 2019 as group finance director. He has also served on the BAT management board since 2014, with previous roles including regional director for Europe and North Africa and group transformation director. A comprehensive search for a new group finance director will now commence. Javed Iqbal, who has had an extensive finance career in the group and is currently the director of digital and information, will take on the role of interim group finance director until a permanent successor has been appointed.
“Since our ‘A Better Tomorrow’ strategy was articulated in 2019, we have achieved clear momentum in our New Categories business, have established leadership in key markets and expect to deliver New Categories profitability earlier than originally planned,” said BAT chair Luc Jobin in a statement. “During this time, we have also continued to deliver solid financial results and have returned over £20 billion [$25.03 billion] to our shareholders. On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Jack for his significant contribution as chief executive during this important period.
“To fully deliver on our transformation in a fast-changing environment, we must continue to evolve as a high-performing and agile consumer goods company. In considering succession, the board recognized Marroco’s outstanding track record of developing teams that deliver on our transformation alongside a consistent focus on strong execution and financial performance. We are confident that under his leadership we will further strengthen our relationships with key stakeholders and continue to build A Better Tomorrow and deliver long-term sustainable value for our shareholders.”
“I am honored to be appointed as chief executive of BAT. I wish to thank Jack, who has been instrumental in establishing our A Better Tomorrow strategy,” said Marroco. “Having been at the center of the formulation of this strategy, I am convinced that this is the right strategic path for BAT. In this dynamic environment, I remain firmly committed to focusing on results delivery through executional excellence.
“Throughout my 30-year career with this great company, inclusivity and collaboration have always been at the heart of my leadership approach. My commitment as the new chief executive will be to nurture the passion in BAT for our people, our consumers and our brands. My management team and I will continue to build an increasingly agile and progressive BAT.”
“It has been my privilege to lead BAT since 2019,” said Bowles. “In the last four years, we have set out to transform the business toward ‘A Better Tomorrow’ through a focus on growth of New Category consumer brands, which account for almost £3 billion of revenue. It is now the time for a change of leadership to take the business to the next level.”

In considering succession, the board recognized Tadeu’s outstanding track record of developing teams that deliver on our transformation alongside.
Luc Jobin, Chair, BAT
“As I leave, I thank all my colleagues and the board for their support and dedication to this strategy and to the transformation of the business which we achieved. After 20 years in the company I look forward to my next steps. I wish my successor Marroco , who has been our group finance director for four years, and the great team at BAT, all the success to continue the journey. Given the quality of BAT’s talent pipeline, I am confident that BAT will continue to be successful.”
May 15, 2023
ITC Appoints Frank Silva as President and CEO

Image: JHVEPhoto | Adobe Stock
Imperial Tobacco Canada (ITCAN) appointed Frank Silva as president and CEO, effective April 1, 2023.
Silva has a long history with ITCAN, and its parent company BAT, that includes roles at local, regional and global levels. Silva has served as regional marketing director for BAT’s Asia-Pacific and Middle East region, vice president of marketing and sales at ITCAN and marketing director for BAT U.K. and Ireland. At the global level, he was instrumental in developing BAT’s harm reduction strategy, which is core to the company’s expansion into new categories, currently focused on less harmful alternatives to smoking.
Most recently, Silva has been working with Reynolds American, BAT’s division in the United States. During that time, Silva was senior vice president of digital and consumer experiential marketing, president of Reynolds sales and trade marketing services as well as senior vice president of Reynolds premium brand portfolio, Newport, Camel and Natural American Spirit.
“I am thrilled to return home to ITCAN as president and CEO,” said Silva. “I would like to extend my gratitude to my predecessor, Ralf Wittenberg, for his hard work and leadership over the past three years. He has left me a solid business with incredible people, and I believe we are well positioned to continue [to] demonstrate leadership in the tobacco harm reduction space.’’
Ralf Wittenberg will return to BAT’s global headquarters in London as commercial director of nicotine reduced-risk products.
With his experience in tobacco harm reduction, Silva will be pivotal in continuing ITCAN’s focus on offering a portfolio of less harmful alternatives to adult smokers. He believes that with the right regulatory framework, a continued increase in the acceptance of tobacco harm reduction and the right enforcement to ensure nicotine products are not sold to youth, Canada can reduce smoking rates below 5 percent before Health Canada’s stated goal of 2035.
“I am excited by what the future holds for ITCAN. As a Canadian, I am vested in the company and in the country. I believe we have the right strategy and the best people to continue our transformation,” continued Silva.
May 4, 2023
Philip Morris Korea Appoints New MD

Photo: Celt Studio
Philip Morris Korea (PMK) has appointed Hannah Yun as its new managing director. Yun will take the helm at the Seoul office on May 1, reports The Korea Times.
“With its cutting-edge technology and dynamic market environment, Korea is one of the most important countries leading Philip Morris’ transformation to a ‘smoke-free future,’” said Yun, who is currently the managing director of Philip Morris Australia. “I will further strengthen the competitiveness of Philip Morris Korea by implementing consumer-centric strategies and services based on my international experience.”
Yun joined PMK in 1997, where she took charge of corporate affairs, business strategy and budget management. From 2003 to 2007, she worked for Philip Morris International in Malaysia, Switzerland and Hong Kong, supporting the development of business growth strategies and operational plans for each market.
She led PMI’s financial analysis and support division in Switzerland from 2008 to 2013, where she was responsible for managing the communication of consolidated PMI financial information.
In 2019, Yun was entrusted with overseeing Philip Morris Australia’s financial and commercial strategies. Two years later, she was appointed as managing director of that affiliate, leading the business in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
PMK’s current managing director, Paik Young-jay, will move on to new opportunities, the firm said. Paik assumed the position amid the Covid-19 pandemic and is credited with establishing a corporate culture of agility and collaboration.
April 19, 2023
In Memoriam: Dayton Matlick

Dayton Harris Matlick, who devoted more than 80 years of his life to working in tobacco, passed away in February at the age of 88. Dayton founded a publishing company in Raleigh, North Carolina, that produced Tobacco Reporter for nearly 40 years. His company also published Vapor Voice, Tobacconist, Flue-Cured Tobacco Farmer, Tobacco Farm Quarterly, Tobacco Science, Burley Farmer and Pipes and Tobaccos. Other topics his company’s magazines covered included golf, firefighting, emergency rescue, truck driving and a support magazine for those dealing with cancer.
Dayton was raised in Louisville, Kentucky, on a burley tobacco and beef farm. His most reliable (and favorite) mode of transportation to get to town was by foot—his running talent helped him gain a spot on the track team at the University of Kentucky, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism. He then earned a master’s degree in communications from Michigan State University, where he also taught.
Dayton’s father, J.O. Matlick, who had little formal education, became a local extension agent and then commissioner of Natural Resources for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Along the way, he began distributing regular newsletters that eventually turned into magazines. Dayton began writing and editing for his father’s Kentucky Farmer’s Home Journal in 1959. When J.O. suffered serious health problems, the magazines were sold to Harvest Publishing in Michigan. Dayton moved with the publications and became an award-winning journalist.
In 1981, Harvest decided to divest its agricultural division, which Dayton bought and moved to North Carolina under the name Specialized Agricultural Communications, which eventually got shortened to SpecComm. Tobacco Reporter was a natural fit to the existing titles and was added to the company’s catalog.
As chairman of SpecComm, Dayton traveled the world and made friends on virtually all continents. He had a particular affinity for the art of pipemaking and thanks to his travels (and the magazine he created dedicated to the hobby) was able to amass one of the greatest pipe collections in the world. He was a tobacco Renaissance man, friends with important tobacco people around the world and interested in every detail about the leaf that captivates so many. In 1994, Dayton set up TabExpo, the most respected global exposition for tobacco manufacturers that continues to this day, which also led to the creation of the GTNF. In 2019, Dayton sold SpecComm to TMA.
Dayton mentored far too many people in the publishing industry to count and created a legacy that will continue to endure. Dayton was a 10th-degree black belt in Taekwondo and continued to practice the art well into his 70s. He was also a voracious reader, loved science fiction and named several of his beloved dogs after characters from Star Wars.
April 1, 2023
Qnovia Adds Zeller to Advisory Board

Mitch Zeller, the former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Product, has joined the advisory board of a company developing a first-of-its-kind smoking cessation inhalation product.
Zeller said Qnovia’s nicotine inhalation product, RespiRX, has the potential to be a “game changer” in lowering the use of combustible cigarettes.
The former director of the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) from March 2013 until his retirement in April 2022, Zeller is now providing policy and regulatory strategy consulting to Qnovia, Inc.
The company is currently preparing an application to the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) for a cessation therapy which, if approved, will be the first inhaled prescription therapy to help tobacco smokers quit.
Zeller’s addition to the company’s advisory board comes as the FDA aims to finalize proposed bans on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars by August. The FDA also plans to propose a rule limiting nicotine levels in cigarettes and some other tobacco products.
Zeller said access to Qnovia’s product can be one essential tool along with an administration-wide effort to provide support to those with nicotine addictions once those product standards take effect.
“Some people will be able to quit cold turkey, but a whole bunch won’t, and they will be seeking nicotine elsewhere,” Zeller said in an interview, told Bloomberg Law.
“The last thing that we want smokers to do if any of those policies go into effect is to simply switch to another tobacco product,” he added.
Qnovia’s goal is for RespiRx to be the first inhaled prescription smoking cessation therapy product, according to Qnovia CEO Brian Quigley. Instead of using heat to create vapor, the RespiRx device uses an orientation-agnostic vibrating mesh nebulizer. The aerosolizing engine is nothing like a traditional e-cigarette that heats a coil to atomize nicotine based in PG and/or VG.
RespiRx is activated when a user inhales on the device. To aerosolize the nicotine, it sends an electrical current that causes the perforated piezo mesh to vibrate more than 100,000 times a second. “It’s that vibrating action of the mesh that then forces the liquid to the holes, creating an aerosol that appears vapor-like, allowing it to be inhaled,” says Quigley. That, he says, is fundamentally different from a traditional e-cigarette product, where the heating process can create undesired thermal byproducts.
RespiRx uses proprietary software to deliver a precise dose of nicotine. Every time it’s activated, the device fires for three seconds and delivers a targeted dose of the drug. The base is reusable and serves as the housing for the battery and software. The RespiRx nebulizer sits within the pod that houses the nicotine drug product.
“The nebulizing unit (cartridge) gets replaced by the patient every one to two days. That interface means that the patient doesn’t have to clean the nebulizer,” explains Quigley. “The biggest challenge with other vibrating mesh products is that they require cleaning if used over an extended period. We’re mitigating that through the design of the interface. There is no cleaning required. We do believe that this will result in RespiRx having a very long use life.”
Late last year, Qnovia raised $17 million to continue the development of its RespiRx nicotine replacement product.
In June of 2020, the company appointed Quigley, a 16-year veteran of Altria Group, as its Chief Operating Officer. At Altria, Quigley served as CEO of its smokeless tobacco business from 2012 to 2018, a $2.3 billion business with over 800 employees,
March 31, 2023
Philippines President Blocks International Probe of Duterte

Image: Tobacco Reporter archive
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has shut the International Criminal Court (ICC) out of the country as it attempts to investigate former President Rodrigo Duterte’s War on Drugs, reports Filter, citing Reuters. “That ends all our involvement with the ICC …. At this point, we essentially are disengaging from any contact, any communication,” Marcos said.
The ICC opened an investigation into drug war killings under Duterte’s leadership in September 2021, focusing on two periods: November 2011 to June 2016, when Duterte spearheaded a similar campaign as mayor of Davao City, and up to March 2019, after Duterte became president but before he withdrew the country from the Rome Statute, the founding international treaty that created the ICC.
The ICC temporarily suspended the investigation in November 2021, stating that the Philippines was conducting its own investigation and that the court would decide how to proceed at a later point. The investigation was reopened in January 2023 after the ICC stated that the Philippines government was not conducting a serious investigation of its own. President Marcos appealed the decision, asking for another suspension, but that request was not granted.
“We cannot cooperate with the ICC,” Marcos said, “considering the very serious questions about their jurisdiction and about what we consider to be interference and practically attacks on the sovereignty of the republic.”
ICC rules dictate that it can investigate any crimes that happened in the country while it was still a treaty member.
“As of 2021, we still hear from local activists that extrajudicial killings are taking place,” said Ajeng Larasati, human rights lead for Harm Reduction International. “The Philippines in the past few months is still debating reinstating the death penalty for drug offenses as well. It doesn’t seem Marcos has taken any steps to make its drug policy better and more respectful of human rights.”
“Just the fact the ICC is reopening the case is already a good step,” said Larasati. “Although it may not end up in an investigation, it still gave the Philippines government a sense that the international community is watching.”
March 30, 2023