By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Europe leadership change: Marco Hannappel will become president of PMI’s Europe Region on Aug. 1, succeeding Massimo Andolina, who was recently named group chief financial officer.
- Latin America appointment: Can Kuterdem will take over as president of the Latin America and Canada Region after leading PMI’s business in Poland.
- Smoke-free focus continues: The appointments complete PMI’s new four-region structure as the company accelerates its transition toward smoke-free products.
Philip Morris International has completed its leadership team for its new four-region operating structure, announcing two senior appointments that take effect on Aug. 1 as the company continues its global shift toward smoke-free products.
Marco Hannappel has been named president of PMI’s Europe Region, and Can Kuterdem will become president of the Latin America and Canada Region. Both executives will report to Frederic de Wilde, chief executive officer of PMI International, the business unit that generates the majority of the company’s global net revenues.
The appointments complete the regional structure introduced as part of PMI’s broader organizational overhaul in late 2025. The four-region model also includes Gijs de Best, who became president of the South Asia, Indochina, CIS, Middle East, and Africa Region in January, and Vassilis Gkatzelis, who continues to lead the East and Southeast Asia, Pacific, and Global Travel Retail Region.
“The appointments strengthen the company’s leadership pipeline as it moves towards a smoke-free future,” PMI said in announcing the changes.
Hannappel succeeds Massimo Andolina, who was recently appointed PMI’s group chief financial officer. Both changes take effect Aug. 1. Hannappel most recently served as president of PMI’s Latin America and Canada Region and previously held leadership roles, including president and managing director of Italy and area vice president for Southwest Europe, overseeing Italy and Iberia.
PMI said he brings “extensive international experience and a strong track record in leading business growth across complex and highly regulated markets.”
Kuterdem, who succeeds Hannappel in Latin America and Canada, most recently served as managing director for Poland. PMI credited him with helping transform one of the company’s largest European markets into a multi-category business and with strengthening organizational engagement.
Before that role, he served as vice president of strategy and program delivery for PMI’s Europe Region, where he helped shape regional strategy and execution. Prior to joining PMI in 2020, Kuterdem held leadership roles at The Boston Consulting Group and Samsung.
The appointments come as PMI continues one of the most significant corporate transformations in its storied history. The company has reorganized its operations by geographic regions and business units to accelerate growth in smoke-free categories, including IQOS heated tobacco products, ZYN nicotine pouches, and VEEV vaping products.
The restructuring established PMI International under de Wilde and PMI U.S. under Stacey Kennedy, with both reporting to Chief Executive Officer Jacek Olczak.
The leadership changes also come as smoke-free products account for an increasingly important share of PMI’s business. The company reported earlier this year that smoke-free products accounted for 43% of total net revenue in the first quarter of 2026, and more than 43 million legal-age consumers globally were estimated to be using PMI’s smoke-free products as of the end of 2025.
