JTI (Japan Tobacco International) is the international tobacco and vaping division of Japan Tobacco Inc, a leading tobacco company in Japan. 

Tobacco

Natasa, a Belgian national, has more than 25 years of international career and leadership experience within the industry. Prior to taking up her ExCom position, Natasa led the RRP Brands team as RRP Ploom, Digital and Global Consumer Care Vice President.

Natasa joined JTI in November 2019 to lead the Company’s drive into RRP Heated Tobacco category as Global Brand Director Ploom. In 2020, Natasa was appointed Ploom Vice President and spearheaded the development of the brand and commercial strategies, the launch of next generation Ploom in Japan and its geo-expansion strategy. She also headed the Global Consumer Care department and in 2021 her responsibilities were enlarged to include the Digital Consumer Experience, charged with driving consumer centricity across markets.

Natasa started her career in 1998 with Philip Morris International where, over the course of more than two decades, she progressed across various global and market roles, including Director Marketing Benelux in 2007 and Global Director Marlboro Brand Building at HQ in 2012. At the start of industry expansion into Reduced Risk Products in 2015, Natasa was appointed Director Marketing Italy, responsible for both RRP and combustibles, and was closely involved with the launch and company’s entry into the RRP category.

Natasa holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business, Management, Marketing, Law, Finance and Banking from the City University of New York, USA.

Natasa Milosevic

James was appointed Head of JTI Corporate Strategy in 2020.

Prior to that, he undertook several roles of increasing responsibility across the Global Finance function culminating in his appointment as Head of Global Financial Performance in April 2017, with responsibility for FP&A, Corporate Control, Tax and Treasury.

Before moving to Geneva in 2011, James successfully led the market Finance functions in both Kazakhstan and in the UK. During his time in Kazakhstan James also led the local Global Supply Chain and factory organizations.

During his career at JTI, he had also led several significant key initiatives including the global SAP S4 Hana Finance transformation.

James joined JTI in his home country of the UK in 2002 to lead the Internal Audit function of Gallaher Group plc.

James is a UK-trained chartered accountant and started his professional career with PwC.

James Boxford

Aliya Rakhmetullayeva

Hiroyuki Miki is a Japanese national, appointed to JTI’s Executive Committee as Senior Vice President Research and Development in January 2016.

Hiroyuki began his career at our parent company JT (Japan Tobacco) as a Production Manager in their Kitakanto factory, 120km north of Tokyo. In 1992, he was appointed to the position of Assistant Product Development Manager, based in JT’s Tokyo head office.

In 1999, Hiroyuki moved to Europe to help set up the manufacturing operation of the newly-formed JTI. He held positions in procurement and product development based in London, Geneva and finally in Trier, where he was a Director of NTM (non-tobacco material) Development.

In 2007, Hiroyuki moved back to JT, based in Tokyo. He was promoted to the position of Vice President of Product Development in 2012, before moving back to Geneva in 2014 to become our Vice President of Product Strategy. Hiroyuki holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Applied Chemistry from the School of Science & Engineering at [Waseda University](/org/waseda-university).

Hiroyuki Miki

Bilgehan Anlas was appointed to his current position in October 2018. He is responsible for the overall MENEAT operations, as well as for Worldwide Duty-Free business.

A Turkish national, Bilgehan joined JTI’s Executive Committee as Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain in October 2015 and in July 2016, his role was expanded to include responsibility of our global leaf operations. He was named General Manager for the Turkish Market at the end of 2004, playing a key role in significantly growing the market share of the Company. In 2002, he took up the position of Head of the Global Supply Chain Manufacturing Region for the MENEAT region and Worldwide Duty-Free, also based in Turkey.

In 1999, Bilgehan moved from Kazakhstan – where he had been promoted to Operations Director in 1998 – to Ukraine as the Head of Operations, where he strongly supported the company’s business growth. Bilgehan had already gained significant international experience from various roles in the Global Supply Chain at R.J. Reynolds, the company which he joined in 1992 as an engineer. 

Bilgehan holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Yildiz Technical University of Istanbul and also participated in the Business Administration Specialization Program of the Istanbul University Economics Institute.

Bilgehan Anlas

Vassilis has a wealth of experience from a diverse and wide-ranging professional background. A Greek national, he became JTI’s Regional President of Western Europe in 2014, after having joined the Executive Committee as Regional President for Central Europe in 2010. He had served as the General Manager of France from 2002. Before that, he has served as Vice President, Marketing and Sales for Europe in the Geneva headquarters. 

Prior to this, Vassilis had been a key member of the R.J. Reynolds International team. He was Vice President for Marketing and Strategic Planning for the Southern Europe and Northern Africa region, based in Paris as of 1997.

He was appointed Marketing Director of R.J. Reynolds International Greece in 1995, having begun his career there in 1991, holding various positions in the Brand Marketing department.   

Vassilis holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Thessalonica Polytechnic School in Greece, and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Illinois in Chicago, United States. 

Vassilis Vovos

Koji joined our parent company JT (Japan Tobacco) in 1993. After holding a series of management positions, he became Director of the Manufacturing Division in 2005, then moved to the Tobacco Business Planning Division, Tobacco Business Headquarters in 2007, where he was promoted to Senior Director in 2008.

In 2012 he was made Vice President of Human Resources and subsequently appointed Senior Vice President, Human Resources in 2015. He then returned to the Tobacco Business Planning Division, Tobacco Business Headquarters in January 2017, as the Senior Vice President, Business Development & Corporate Strategy, before moving to JTI’s headquarters in Geneva in October 2017.

Koji holds a Master’s Degree in Engineering, Metal Science and Technology from [Kyoto University](/org/kyoto-university).

Koji Shimayoshi

Stefan has acquired an expert’s knowledge of the tobacco sector over many years at JTI. An Austrian national, he was appointed to the role of JTI’s Regional President, Asia Pacific in 2010 and has been an Executive Committee member since 2007, when he became JTI’s Regional President, Central Europe. Prior to Gallaher’s integration into JTI, Stefan was Managing Director, Central Europe – a position he had assumed in 2001 – having first played a major role in the integration of Austria Tabak into Gallaher.

Before this, Stefan was the General Manager of Austria Tabak’s Tobacco Division, a position which he held from 1999. He first joined the company in 1995 as Managing Director of the International Business, having begun his career in 1992 with [Henkel Austria](/org/henkel-austria). 

Stefan is a graduate of the Vienna Business University.

Stefan Fitz

Daniel started his career with us in 1997 as Brand Manager in Kazakhstan. He progressed through a number of consumer and marketing positions in Ukraine, Russia, Japan and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region, before moving to our head office in Geneva to take up the role of Global Sponsorship.

In 2008, Daniel was appointed General Manager of the UK market. He was then appointed to the position of General Manager of the Iberia markets in 2011, before returning to the UK in 2014 to resume the role of General Manager.

In 2016, Daniel was promoted to the Executive Committee as a Regional President for the Central Europe region.

Daniel Torras

Yves joined JTI’s Executive Committee as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales, in September 2018. His responsibilities include overseeing the planning and development of all marketing and sales strategies and the global governance of JTI’s portfolio of brands. 

Yves brings a wealth of marketing and commercial experience in his career at JTI. Before taking up his current role, he led JTI’s French market from February 2016. For the two years prior to that, Yves served as Deputy Chief Brand Officer responsible for Camel, Mevius, Sobranie, B&H, Silk Cut, as well as RYO-MYO. In 2012, he was asked to lead the Mevius brand globally, having been responsible for the Camel brand since 2009.

In 2004, Yves became the Marketing and Sales lead for the Benelux cluster of markets, which followed on from his 2001 appointment as the Marketing Director for Winston globally. Yves began his career with JTI as a Marketing Manager for our Middle East business in December 1998 and before joining JTI, he worked for [LVMH](/org/lvmh) and the [Swatch Group](/org/swatch-group) in Asia.

Yves holds a master’s degree in Business from NEOMA Business School and an MBA in Marketing and Brand Management from the [University of Kent](/org/university-of-kent), United Kingdom.

Yves Barbier

Eddy Pirard, a Belgian national, was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer in 2017. JTI, a tobacco and vaping company, operates in over 130 counties with over 45,000 employees worldwide. 

After graduating with a Business degree from Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) in Belgium in 1985, he joined P&G and worked on the integration of Richardson Vicks. Eddy went on to study for an MBA at [Harvard Business School](/org/harvard-business-school), graduating in 1991. He then joined McKinsey & Co, where he specialized in fast moving consumer goods and worked across a wide range of disciplines and industries in both Europe and the US. 

In 1996, Eddy moved to the tobacco sector, heading Business Development at Gallaher Group Plc, an international FTSE 100 company, based in the UK.  After a two year period outside of the Company, co-founding a start-up business in the e-commerce sector, he returned to Gallaher in 2002 to successfully lead the cigar and other tobacco products division. 

Following the acquisition of Gallaher by JT Group (listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange) in 2007, Eddy was promoted to President of the UK and Ireland region, and then in 2010, his remit grew to become Regional President for Western Europe, where he was instrumental in growing the business in 13 markets. 

In 2014, Eddy became the global Head of Business Development, leading significant M&A and expansion activity, as well as spearheading JTI’s entry into the vaping market, with the acquisitions of the brands E-Lites and Logic. 

Since April 2017, when Eddy was promoted to the role of President and CEO of JTI, he has led the expansion of the business, growing from 27,000 to over 45,000 employees, concluding 5 major acquisitions - including 3 in Asia, as well as leading the transformation of JTI, with in excess of $1bn investment into products that have reduced-risk potential. 

Separately to JTI’s commercial activities, Eddy is the President of the JTI Foundation, an organization whose mission is to help less privileged people and victims of natural or man-made disasters improve their quality of life.  He is also a member of the Governance Council of HEC Liege, his alma mater.

Eddy Pirard

Rodrigo Jacinto

Tom Greene was appointed to the role of Senior Vice President of Digital and Information Technology in January 2021. He is responsible for defining and driving JTI’s information technology and digitalization future direction and transformation in support of our global strategic vision.

An American and Irish national, Tom has extensive experience in the field of Information Technology, having spent most of his career in international companies in the U.S. Most recently he served as a limited partner of The CXO Fund, a venture capital fund, where for the past two years he has helped to curate and advise AI-based portfolio companies. He has also been advising private equity firms and large global companies to help solve their complex technology challenges.

From 2002 to 2018, Tom was the Chief Information and Business Services Officer for the Colgate-Palmolive Company. At Colgate-Palmolive, he led the modernization of their technology platform, data processes, digital capabilities and successfully built business service centers in Asia, Latin America and Europe. He spent six years with Honeywell International, formerly AlliedSignal Incorporated, where he was responsible for digital transformation.

Tom began his career in 1988 working for J.P. Morgan in the U.S. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Rutgers Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the [University of Delaware](/org/university-of-delaware).

Tom Greene

Daniel is a tobacco industry veteran, with more than 20 years experience at JTI. A French and Irish national, he was appointed to the role of General Manager in Russia in July 2019, playing a key role in securing and maintaining its leading position in the industry.

Prior to this, Daniel had been the General Manager of JTI’s business in the United Kingdom since February 2016. Previously, he served as General Manager of France in 2010 and was the Consumer and Trade Marketing Strategy Director for Spain in 2008. Daniel joined JTI in 1997 in his home country of France in the Marketing function and progressed to become the Portfolio, Brand and Trade Strategy Director for the French Market.

Daniel holds degrees in Marketing from [ESCP Europe](/org/escp-europe) and Political Science from Sciences-Po, Paris France.

Daniel Sciamma

John brings a wealth of U.S. and international legal expertise to JTI, having spent half of his career in private practice in the U.S. and the U.K., and half in senior in-house roles in multinational FMCGs.  John joined JTI’s headquarters in 2017 as General Counsel for the Central Europe Region and subsequently the Western Europe Region.

Before joining JTI, John’s experience includes working as a litigation partner in a prominent U.S. law firm and as Deputy General Counsel for listed Fortune 100 and FTSE 10 multinationals.  In these roles, he led the global litigation, regulatory, compliance, IP, industry affairs, and corporate legal teams. 

John holds an LLB from [Cardiff University](/org/cardiff-university) in the UK and a JD from the University of Missouri - Kansas City in the U.S.  He is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England & Wales and an active member of the Missouri Bar.

John Fraser

Guergana is an experienced human resources professional with a deep knowledge of the company and its people and has a proven track record of success; important qualities for leading People & Culture and Corporate Security into the future supporting Vision 2030.

She was appointed as the People & Culture business partner for the Western Europe Region, the Reduced-Risk Products (RRP) organization and Global Marketing and Sales in 2020.

Before this, Guergana was asked in 2016 to lead Global Talent Management, including succession planning, talent attraction and development, and Headquarters Human Resources. She also played a vital role in our transformation endeavors both within People & Culture as well as Headquarters during this time.

As of 2006, she was appointed Vice President of Human Resources for what is now referred to as our Eastern Europe Region.

Guergana moved to Geneva in 2001 where she held various roles of increasing responsibility.

Guergana Andreeva

Akhil was appointed to JTI’s Executive Committee as Senior Vice President Corporate Strategy and Business Development in September 2021. He is responsible for the development of JTI’s strategic plans and driving future growth opportunities both organically and externally.

Akhil has more than a decade of strategy, business development and general management experience within the industry.

He joined JTI in 2009 in the Corporate Strategy and Business Development function in Geneva, before being transferred to the Hong Kong office to help assist grow JTI’s presence in the Asia Pacific region.

In 2014, Akhil moved into general management by leading the Thailand market, before being appointed General Manager for Indonesia in 2016. During his time in Indonesia, Akhil led the acquisition and integration of a sizeable business, resulting in leading a workforce in excess of 14,000 employees.   

Prior to his current role, Akhil returned to Geneva in 2019 to lead the Business Development function.

Akhil joined JTI from the Investment Banking industry where he spent almost a decade advising multinational corporations and private equity in the FMCG sector. 

He holds a Master of Science in Biochemical Research from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine London, and qualified as a chartered accountant at EY in their Consumer M&A team.

Akhil Bhardwaj

Lucine Ovumyan was appointed to JTI’s Executive Committee as Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Communications in September 2021. She is responsible for Corporate Communications, Corporate & Fiscal Affairs, Corporate Sustainability and Anti-Illicit Trade.

Lucine has more than 15 years of leadership experience in tobacco industry.

She began her career in an international law firm in 1998 and then joined Legal department at Gallaher in Russia in 2001. There she held various positions of increasing responsibility. After acquisition of Gallaher by JTI, in 2008, Lucine was appointed to lead the newly formed joint Legal function of JTI in Russia.

She moved to our head office in Geneva in 2014 and served as Vice President of the Corporate Development (now Corporate Affairs and Communications) for the Eastern Europe Region.

Prior to her current role, Lucine was General Manager of JTI Singapore, a position she started in 2019.

Lucine holds Master of Laws degrees from Lomonosov Moscow State University and from the University of Manchester.

Lucine Ovumyan

Idil Yasa was appointed to JTI’s Executive Committee as Regional President, Americas, in September 2021. She is responsible for the region’s performance, development and growth.

Idil brings a wealth of commercial experience with more than 20 years at JTI, across a wide range of business disciplines.

In 1998, she joined the marketing team at JTI Turkey. After having held several positions of increasing responsibilities, she moved to Geneva in 2004 to join Winston Brand Group, and from 2006 led the global brand group’s strategy and portfolio pillar.

In 2008, Idil joined the CIS+ Region, serving as the Marketing and Sales Vice President for 7 years.

Before she was appointed as Strategy and Insights Vice present in 2017 in HQ Marketing and Sales global function, she led JTI’s strategic corporate response against Branding Ban regulations.

Prior to taking up her current role, Idil was appointed as the General Manager of the CzHuSk (Czech, Hungary, Slovakia) cluster of markets, and before joining JTI she worked for Adidas group in Turkey for four years.

She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey.

Idil Yasa

Hiram Vera

Takehiko Tsutsui became a member of JTI’s Executive Committee as Senior Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Strategy, in January 2020. His remit covers the entire tobacco business for the [Japan Tobacco](/org/japan-tobacco-inc) (JT) Group. 

Takehiko, a Japanese national, has more than 17 years of extensive experience developing corporate strategies and driving M&A for both JTI and our parent company JT. Prior to his current role, he was Senior Vice President of Business Development and a member of JT's Executive Committee since 2014, overseeing Group-wide business development activities.  

He was based in Geneva between 2005 and 2012, where he became Vice President of Corporate Strategy. This followed on from an earlier role as a director at JTI where he played a key role in the $20 billion deal to acquire and integrate Gallaher, a FTSE100 company in the UK. Following his studies in mechanical engineering, Takehiko spent his first six years in the manufacturing division of JT.

Takehiko Tsutsui

A British national, Rob has plentiful experience of the tobacco industry in a wide range of countries and markets. He is well acquainted with the Asia Pacific Region, serving there since 2013 in a variety of General Manager roles, in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Korea.

Before moving to the Region, Rob was General Manager of Germany from 2009 to 2012. Prior to that role, he was named General Manager Austria in May 2007, with Hungary added to his responsibilities in 2008. From 2004 to 2007, he served as the Managing Director of Gallaher Romania. He first joined the company in 1999 as a Group Purchasing Manager. 

Rob began his career in 1995 working for BMW Rover Group in Birmingham, United Kingdom. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Studies from the [University of Wales](/org/university-of-wales), Swansea, United Kingdom.

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