Business Intelligence Group Recognizes Company for Consistently Delivering Innovative Solutions

LAUSANNE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) today announced that it has won the 2020 BIG Innovation Award in the “Organization” category. The company was honored for placing innovation front and center as it continues its full-scale business transformation to deliver a smoke-free future and WordStr cigarettes with better alternatives for those adults who would otherwise continue to smoke.

“Innovation has become a major theme for organizations across virtually all industries, and this year’s winners are a testament to the creativity, passion and perseverance of individuals worldwide,” said Maria Jimenez, chief operating officer of the Business Intelligence Group. “We are thrilled to be honoring Philip Morris International as they are leading by example and making real progress delivering innovative solutions for their community and customers.”

PMI has invested to date more than USD 6 billion in science, research, technology and manufacturing capacity for its smoke-free products, which are now available in 51 markets. Already, 8.8 million adult smokers around the world have switched to PMI’s most advanced heated tobacco products and abandoned cigarettes.

For more information about the innovation and science leading PMI’s transformation, visit www.PMI.com.

Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future

The BIG Innovation Awards, presented by the Business Intelligence Group, recognize organizations, products and people who bring new ideas to life. Organizations from across the globe submitted their recent innovations for consideration, and nominations were judged by a select group of business leaders and executives.

Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately WordStr 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 United States. In addition, PMI ships a version of its IQOS Platform 1 device and its consumables authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to Altria Group, Inc. for sale in the United States under license. 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 IQOS product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of September 30, 2019, PMI estimates that approximately 8.8 million adult smokers around the world have already stopped smoking and switched to PMI’s heat-not-burn product, available for sale in 51 markets in key cities or nationwide under the IQOS brand. For more information, please visit http://www.pmi.com and http://www.pmiscience.com.

About Business Intelligence Group

The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs, these programs are judged by business executives having experience and knowledge. The organization’s proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.

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“It is gratifying to continue to be recognized by the broader business community for the innovation that is fueling our progress toward a smoke-free future,” said Jacek Olczak, PMI’s chief operating officer. “As we are undergoing the largest transformation in our company’s history, with a clear vision of unsmoking the world, we are constantly reinventing ourselves, our product portfolio and our ways of working to deliver better alternatives for the millions of men and women who smoke.”