Philip Morris International (PMI) Duty Free Vice President Edvinas Katilius is leaving his post to take up a new role as PMI Vice President Global Business Solutions, effective immediately. Beste Ermaner succeeds him in the senior travel retail position.
Katilius remarked: “I’ve had an incredible six-and-a-half-year journey in duty free and together we have accomplished a great number of milestones. I would like to thank all the PMI Duty Free customers for their collaboration in jointly building a strong business.
“Despite the global pandemic, we have significantly expanded our presence in travel retail, and we have now transformed PMI Duty Free into a multi-category operation.
“I would also like to recognise the close collaboration with our retail partners as we have delivered a digital ecosystem for legal-age travellers. I’m handing over to Beste to lead PMI Duty Free and I wish her every success in her new role.”
Ermaner has been with PMI for 23 years and carried out assignments in Türkiye, Russia and the company’s Operations Center (OC). There she worked across consumer insights, marketing, sales, global brand building innovation and reduced risk products (RRP).
In 2015, Ermaner progressed within RRP and assumed the role of Global Marketing Director in the OC. This was followed by the Director RRP role at Philip Morris Turkey, where she led the end-to-end commercialisation of IQOS in Northern Cyprus.
Ermaner moved back to the OC in 2020 as Global Head Portfolio Strategy in Smoke-Free Products (SFP). She led the development of the company’s strategic portfolio and pricing vision across SFP categories.
In her most recent role as Vice President Smoke-Free Products Multi-Category, Ermaner has been leading strategy, Project Management Office, commercial deployment planning, regional omnichannel hubs and governance pillars for all SFP categories (Heat not Burn, eVapor, Oral Products).
She played a key part in shaping the integrated SFP strategy, focused on optimising the value of the SFP portfolio through effective multi-category execution while supporting categories and markets in the deployment process.
Ermaner said: “I am very much looking forward to leading Philip Morris International Duty Free as we grow our multi-category presence. We have a portfolio of better alternatives compared to cigarettes with varying technology, usage, taste and price options available.
“Our smoke-free products include our flagship heated tobacco product IQOS Iluma; VEEV One, our latest e-vapor product with compact ceramic heating technology; VEEV Now, an all-in-one pocket-sized e-vapor device; and ZYN, our nicotine pouches that do not contain tobacco.
“I am excited to continue driving PMI Duty Free’s strong collaboration with our customers and retail partners, and bringing the growth and success of PMI in travel retail to the next level together.”
In her new role, Ermaner will be responsible for PMI Duty Free business globally, with a remit to advance the development of a multi-category duty free organisation. ✈
