LAUSANNE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Philip Morris International Inc.(PMI) (NYSE: PM) today announced that CEO André Calantzopoulos has joined The Valuable 500—a global movement putting disability inclusion on the business leadership agenda. Signing on to this initiative marks another significant step in PMI’s journey of advancing inclusion and diversity in the workplace.

André Calantzopoulos said: “Businesses with a global operating footprint, such as PMI, can make a meaningful impact by ensuring that everyone—including individuals with a disability—can prosper in the workplace. By signing The Valuable 500, I am proud to join forces with a host of other CEOs who are challenging their organizations and the business world to broaden the focus of their inclusion and diversity efforts, and to help create a more inclusive world for the 1.3 billion people with disabilities. This is the right thing to do as part of our broader work to create a more equitable society. And it is also the smart thing to do, allowing PMI to tap into a population of talented individuals whose diverse perspectives and life experiences will help us to unlock the creativity and innovation needed to propel us toward our vision of a smoke-free future.”

In 2021, as part of this commitment to action, PMI will (i) establish a Global Employee Resource Group on Disability as a forum through which to create a greater understanding of what it means to have a disability and build a shared sense of community and allyship among all employees; (ii) make its internal and external communication technologies more accessible to all; and (iii) reduce the prejudice and misunderstanding associated with disability, with a focus on mental health, to create a workplace in which individuals feel comfortable speaking openly about these topics. More information is available here.

Caroline Casey, founder of The Valuable 500, said: “We are delighted to welcome PMI as a member of The Valuable 500. Our global movement is putting disability on the business leadership agenda. By joining our inclusion revolution, businesses have the opportunity to accelerate growth, drive innovation, and improve brand reputation. We’ve created a powerful business community to support these companies as they advance along their disability inclusion journeys and celebrate those that are leading the way. We believe everyone has a unique perspective, and when disabled people are included, we all win.”

Businesses and business leaders have a critical role to play in progressing equality and inclusion around the world and driving social change. PMI is committed to maintaining a culture that celebrates diversity and fosters inclusion so that as many different voices and experiences as possible are included in PMI’s innovation practices. By more accurately reflecting society as a whole across the company’s employee base, PMI will be better equipped to serve its customers and make progress toward its vision of a smoke-free future.

Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future

Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, and its shareholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products and associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the U.S. In addition, PMI ships a version of its IQOS Platform 1 device and its consumables to Altria Group, Inc. for sale under license in the U.S., where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized their marketing as a modified risk tobacco product (MRTP), finding that an exposure modification order for these products is appropriate to promote the public health. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMI’s smoke-free product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of Sept. 30, 2020, PMI estimates that approximately 11.7 million adult smokers around the world have already stopped smoking and switched to PMI’s heat-not-burn product, available for sale in 61 markets in key cities or nationwide under the IQOS brand. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.

The Valuable 500

Launched by social entrepreneur and activist Caroline Casey at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in January 2019, The Valuable 500 aims to put disability on the global business leadership agenda.

The Valuable 500 was created by Binc, the organization founded by Caroline Casey in 2015, with a mission to ignite a historic global movement for a new age of business inclusion—capitalizing on Casey’s 18-year track record of success engaging over 450 organizations. The campaign has won three awards: a Cannes Lion, D&AD, and a BIMA.

Our goal is to persuade 500 multinational companies that have at least 1,000 employees to make a public commitment to advance disability inclusion in their organization. By engaging the most influential business leaders and brands, we want to create a tipping point within business that unlocks the business, social, and economic value of the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities around the world, and the millions of us who will become disabled over time.

We believe that if business takes a lead, society and government will follow, and truly inclusive businesses can build truly inclusive societies.

# # #