Jacinto “Jase” Hernandez will join Altria’s board of directors on Nov. 1, 2022.
“Jase brings a significant and deep understanding of the tobacco landscape following his years as an investment analyst covering the U.S. tobacco industry,” said Kathryn McQuade, independent board chair, in a statement. “Our board believes that his industry expertise and financial background will help further advance Altria’s focus on ‘moving beyond smoking’ in pursuit of its vision.”
Hernandez served as a partner and investment analyst for Capital Group and its subsidiary, Capital World Investors. He joined the Capital Group companies in August 2000 and retired in June 2022 after having spent 22 years covering a variety of industries, including U.S. tobacco, helping lead the research portfolio for one of the largest growth mutual funds in the world and serving in key leadership roles. Hernandez is a director of Pioneer Natural Resources Co.
He will serve as a member of the finance and innovation committees.
In addition, W. Leo Kiely III, a director since 2011, will retire from service on the board following completion of his current term.
“We thank Leo for his many contributions in his more than a decade of service to Altria,” said McQuade.
Pyxus International has appointed Jamie J. Ashton to its board of directors following the resignation of Holly Kim, a partner of Glendon Capital Management. Ashton will serve as a member of the board’s audit and compensation committees.
Ashton is a senior vice president of Glendon Capital Management, which together with its affiliates is a significant shareholder of Pyxus.
“On behalf of the company’s board of directors, I thank Ms. Kim for her dedicated service to our company,” said Pyxus President and CEO Pieter Sikkel in a statement. “She was an active advisor in redefining the company’s strategy, and her valuable guidance has significantly contributed to our steady business performance over the past two years.”
“I am pleased to welcome Mr. Ashton to the board,” added Sikkel. “As a close colleague of Ms. Kim’s, Mr. Ashton has a deep familiarity with our company and we look forward to his direct contributions to our board.”
Turning Point Brands appointed Graham Purdy as CEO and board director, effective Oct. 16, 2022, following Yavor Efremov’s resignation as CEO and director. Additionally, David Glazek will transition from nonexecutive to executive board chairman, effective January 2023.
Purdy will lead TPB’s strategy, execution and operations, with a focus on growing and maximizing the value of the company’s portfolio of brands. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Purdy served as TBP’s chief operating officer since 2019. Since joining TPB in 2004, Purdy has held various leadership positions, including president of the new ventures division and senior vice president of sales.
During his tenure at TPB, Purdy oversaw two successful brand extensions, rolling out Zig-Zag Cigar Wraps and Stoker’s MST. In addition, he built an effective sales organization driven by an industry-leading performance management system, positioned a number of successful new products and led the integration of many of the company’s most important strategic initiatives. Purdy led day-to-day operations during the Covid-9 pandemic, managing complex challenges while completing three of the most successful years in the company’s history.
“Graham is a highly experienced operator who has been integral to Turning Point’s success. His deep knowledge of the company’s operations and industry make him ideally suited to lead TPB today. We are confident in his ability to oversee Turning Point’s brand strategy and sharpen the company’s operational focus,” said Glazek, chairman of TPB’s board of directors, in a statement.
“The board would also like to thank Mr. Efremov for his many contributions during his tenure. In the last year, he has launched key initiatives, including the expansion of our distribution platform, enhancing our IT infrastructure and adding new leadership talent. We wish him well going forward.”
“I am excited to serve as Turning Point’s next CEO and drive the company’s strategic priorities to enhance shareholder value,” said Purdy. “Over the past three decades, Turning Point has built a leading industry position through our portfolio of large and leading brands, innovative marketing and omni-channel distribution capabilities, along with our strong track record of new product innovation. I look forward to working with our highly talented team to continue to build a world-class consumer products company for the benefit of our employees, customers and shareholders.”
“I am proud of what we have accomplished in a short period of time and the progress that has been made on key initiatives over the past year,” said Efremov. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as CEO and meet and work alongside the many hardworking and dedicated employees of Turning Point.”
Celeste Mastin will succeed Jim Owens as H.B. Fuller’s president and CEO, effective Dec. 4, 2022. Mastin will also join the company’s board of directors.
Mastin currently serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer of H.B. Fuller. Prior to joining H.B. Fuller, Mastin served as CEO of PetroChoice Lubrication Solutions, one of the largest distributors of petroleum lubrication solutions in the United States.
Prior to that, she held CEO roles at Distribution International and MMI Products, and she served in senior leadership roles at Ferro Corp. and Bostik Adhesives, now owned by Arkema. Mastin began her career at Shell Chemical Co. She currently serves on the board of directors of Granite Construction.
“It has been a privilege to serve as CEO of H.B. Fuller, and I am very proud of all that we have accomplished as a team over the last 12 years,” said Owens in a statement. “With a proven value-creation strategy, an experienced leadership team in place and positive momentum, this is the opportune time to transition the company’s leadership.
“Celeste is an outstanding leader and ideal fit with H.B. Fuller’s entrepreneurial, customer-focused, global culture. She brings strategic insights, continuity of leadership and a strong record of delivering exceptional results. I am confident the company will excel and reach new levels of financial and operational performance under her leadership.”
“I would like to thank Jim and the board for the opportunity to lead this fantastic company and the many exceptional team members who work for H.B. Fuller,” said Mastin. “H.B. Fuller has a rich history of innovating to create unique products to meet our customers’ most challenging needs and has become the world’s leading pure-play adhesives company.
“We have a winning strategy, tremendous talent and leadership, and the entrepreneurial culture that will continue this legacy. I believe strongly in our strategy and vision, and I will remain focused on expanding on these strengths to accelerate organic growth and enhance the company’s margin profile to achieve our strategic goals and reach our full potential.”
Hoffmann has named industry expert Christoph Peternell as managing director for its tins business. He replaces Andre Seiler and will be based at the company’s headquarters in Thun, Switzerland.
Peternell brings over 25 years of international experience managing production facilities and their corresponding supply chain logistics. He has an accomplished history of strategic and operational successes in various fast-moving consumer goods companies, where he served many years as interim or plant manager. His most recent position was in the infant food sector as chief operating officer of Hochdorf Swiss Nutrition, Switzerland.
Peternell joins Hoffmann amid a period of heightened investment in its tins business, which includes upgraded equipment, renewable energy to decarbonize the plant, new production lines and expanded product features.
“Christoph has demonstrated the ability to lead production and logistics teams worldwide and to maximize growth potential in various consumer sectors consistently,” said Mark Aegler, CEO of Hoffmann Neopac, in a statement. “He is joining Hoffmann at an exciting, forward-thinking time highlighted by significant near-term investments to expand capacity and product versatility. We’re delighted to welcome him to the Hoffmann family.”
Peternell holds a master’s degree in food technology, and he has completed various further diplomas in business administration. He lives with his family in Konstanz, Germany.
Philip Morris International has appointed two former U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials to key positions.
Badrul Chowdhury was appointed PMI’s chief life sciences officer for smoke-free products, succeeding Jorge Insuasty, who will complete his move into the recently created position of president of Vectura Fertin Pharma. After a short transition period, Chowdhury will join PMI’s senior management team in January 2023, reporting to CEO Jacek Olczak.
“I am delighted to welcome Badrul to PMI and look forward to working closely with him as he leads our talented team of scientific experts,” said Olczak in a statement. “He is an accomplished scientist and regulatory strategist, with decades of leadership experience, both in industry and as a regulator within the U.S. FDA’s pulmonary division. His wealth of knowledge and experience will be critical to help achieve our ambition of a smoke-free future. I also extend my sincere thanks to Jorge Insuasty for his contributions to the function as he moves to oversee Vectura Fertin Pharma full time.”
Chowdhury joins PMI from a U.S.-based biotech company developing inhalation products for rare respiratory diseases, where he was chief medical officer. Prior to that, he was AstraZeneca’s senior vice president and chief physician-scientist for respiratory inflammation and autoimmunity late-stage development in biopharmaceuticals R&D. From 1997 to 2018, Chowdhury served as director of the division of pulmonary, allergy and rheumatology products at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA.
Matt Holman
Matthew Holman was appointed as PMI’s vice president of U.S. scientific engagement and regulatory strategy, reporting to Deepak Mishra, president of PMI Americas.
“We are delighted that Matt will be joining PMI to further accelerate our journey toward a smoke-free future, particularly here in the United States,” said Mishra. “As we transform, we recognize the importance of bringing together diverse perspectives, including those of regulatory bodies and the scientific community. Matt’s solid scientific and stakeholder knowledge, combined with his passion for tobacco harm reduction, will be invaluable.”
Holman joins PMI from the FDA, where he served for more than 20 years, most recently as director of the Office of Science at the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). At the CTP, Holman was instrumental in building the FDA’s marketing application review programs. He served as the CTP’s chief scientist, playing a significant role in guiding policy decisions, developing rulemaking and guidance documents, and overseeing a robust regulatory science research program for tobacco products.
The appointment of these experts complements the recent hiring of Keagan Lenihan, who joined PMI in May 2022 as vice president of government affairs and public policy and head of its Washington, D.C., office. Lenihan spent two decades working in government, corporate and public policy, including as associate commissioner for external affairs and strategic initiatives and then chief of staff at the U.S. FDA.
22nd Century Group has appointed Lucie S. Salhany to its board of directors.
Salhany is a highly accomplished media executive with extensive experience in assessing and understanding the consumer landscape, positioning unique products for successful launch utilizing digital media, corporate strategy and entrepreneurial ventures.
She is widely recognized for her appointment as the first woman chair of a major broadcast network, which was earned through her unparalleled track record of successful growth and expansion in the industry. Salhany will serve as a member of 22nd Century’s corporate governance and nominating and finance committees.
“I am delighted that Lucie has chosen to join 22nd Century’s board of directors. Her well-established track record of success in business along with her strong background in and knowledge of the media industry will be extremely valuable for the company as we execute on our mission to reduce the harm caused by smoking, launch VLN and monetize our hemp/cannabis operations,” said 22nd Century Board Chair Nora B. Sullivan in a statement.
“We are confident her contributions will help raise 22nd Century’s profile in the consumer marketplace and mainstream media. Lucie’s appointment also reflects our continued commitment to the diversity of our board, and I very much look forward to her perspective and contributions in the board room.”
Salhany is currently president and CEO of her own consulting company, JHMedia. She was also one of the founding partners of Echo Bridge Entertainment and CEO and president of LifeFX Networks.
22nd Century Group is changing its management team as the company accelerates growth in its reduced nicotine content tobacco business. President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Zercher will depart the company effective Sept. 30, 2022. John Miller, who leads 22nd Century’s tobacco business team, will assume the tobacco-related duties of the chief operating officer’s role while CEO James A. Mish will assume the title of corporate president.
“With exceptionally successful VLN pilot results in hand, 22nd Century is expanding sales and planning rollouts in strategic regions across the United States,” said Mish in a statement. “In order to coordinate all of the critical elements of this expansion plus additional planned market launches, John Miller, who already leads our tobacco product, marketing and partnership efforts, will assume full operational responsibility for the tobacco product lines, bringing to bear his more than 30 years of industry experience to direct a fully integrated national VLN sales strategy.
“On behalf of the board of directors and the entire company, I thank Mike for his work at 22nd Century Group, including his important role in helping bring VLN through the regulatory process to secure the first and only FDA modified-risk tobacco product marketing order ever granted to a combustible cigarette.
“Mike has also been instrumental in developing our initial VLN industry partnerships and successful Chicagoland pilot program,” said Mish. “As a result, 22nd Century represents a completely new type of tobacco business focused on disrupting the industry and, most importantly, helping adult smokers to smoke less. We thank Mike for the incredible success he has helped the company achieve and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Dimitar Yadkov, the president of Bulgartabac from 1972 to 1991 passed away on Aug. 21, at the age of 94.
Yadkov ran Bulgartabac during the two most dynamic and successful decades in the company’s history—a time that was marked by creativity, enthusiasm and innovation, according to people familiar with the business.
Under his leadership the monopoly established and maintained trade relationships with 130 companies in 36 countries and became firmly positioned as one of the leaders in international tobacco community.
For many years Bulgaria competed with the U.S. as the world’s largest cigarette exporter and ranked seventh in the world as tobacco leaf producer.
Yadkov was elected as Coresta vice-president in 1978 and served on that organization’s board for 12 years.
“The loss to Bulgarian society is huge,” wrote Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev in a condolence letter. “A dignified person has left us; a business manager who steadfastly proved his professionalism over the years and uncompromisingly defended the Bulgarian tobacco industry’s interest.”
The Brazilian media conglomerate Grupo RBS has recognized Iro Schunke, president of the Interstate Tobacco Industry Union (SindiTabaco), for his contributions to the development of Rio Grande do Sul, one of Brazil’s leading tobacco producing states.
During an Aug. 30 ceremony in the municipality of Esteio, Schunke accepted the Guri trophy, which honors the accomplishment of citizens in areas such as agribusiness, music and technology.
A graduate from the Federal University of Santa Maria, Schunke has worked as an agronomist, manager, director and production superintendent. In addition to leading SindiTabaco, he is the director of the Federation of Industries of Rio Grande do Sul. In 2015, he also became director-president of the Instituto Crescer Legal, an entity that promotes professional education for rural young people.
“I thank Grupo RBS for this honor,” said Schunke in an article published on SindiTabaco’s website. “Rest assured that I will continue to work on behalf of the state, the tobacco sector and the Crescer Legal Institute.”
