By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Leadership change expected: Nicotine Resource Consortium confirms that Chris Greer is set to depart as president and CEO in mid-July.
- Nine-year tenure: Greer has led the organization, formerly known as the Tobacco Merchants Association (TMA), since 2017 and oversaw its transition into the NRC.
- Industry future anticipated: Sources say Greer is expected to remain active in the nicotine sector, though no future role has been publicly announced.
Christopher “Chris” Greer, the longtime president and chief executive officer of the Nicotine Resource Consortium (NRC), is expected to depart the organization next month, according to an email response from the NRC.
The NRC confirmed to Nicotine Insider that Greer’s last day is expected in mid-July. Nicotine Insider was unable to independently confirm a successor.
The move marks the end of a nearly decade-long tenure, during which Greer became one of the most recognizable association executives in the tobacco and nicotine industry.
“The decision to leave is not one I took lightly. It’s not often in these types of decisions that the best choice is right for both the individual and the organization – but this one is,” Greer wrote in a letter to NRC members. “It’s time for a new vision to build upon the foundational work myself and many others have done at NRC over the last decade. I look forward to seeing you all at GTNF in Lisbon and at ATNF 2027 as a regular delegate and seeing where NRC goes in the future.”
Greer was appointed president and CEO of the Tobacco Merchants Association (TMA) in 2017, after serving in regulatory and corporate affairs roles at JTI. Before entering the tobacco industry in 2010, he worked in legal and external affairs at Verizon Wireless.
During his tenure, the organization underwent one of the most significant transformations in its more than 100-year history.
TMA rebranded as the Nicotine Resource Consortium, reflecting a broader focus on the entire nicotine ecosystem rather than on traditional tobacco markets alone. The organization also expanded its conference portfolio around the American Tobacco & Nicotine Forum (ATNF) and the Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum (GTNF), two of the industry’s most influential annual events.
Greer also helped oversee TMA’s 2019 acquisition of GTNF conferences, Tobacco Reporter, and Vapor Voice, a transaction that significantly expanded the organization’s footprint across industry media and events.
“While it is always sad to see dedicated colleagues go, Chris’s work over the years has left NRC in a position of strength and we, with Chris, are taking this turning point as a time to celebrate the achievement of building out NRC into what it is today and turning our attention to the future,” said NRC Board Chair Beth G. Oliva, a partner at Fox Rothschild LLP.
Industry sources told Nicotine Insider that Greer is expected to remain active in the nicotine industry after his departure, though details of any future position remain unclear.
The timing is notable given NRC’s active conference schedule. Greer remains listed as NRC’s president and CEO and was expected to play a prominent role at the Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum, set for September in Lisbon, Portugal. HThe letter to members states that Greer will continue in an advisory role for NRC through this year’s GTNF.
“I know I can lean on Chris whenever I need to, but with so much work already done on the organization and with GTNF 2026 already planned logistically and boasting a great agenda we’ll be rolling out in the coming weeks, I am excited about the future of NRC,” stated NRC Executive Vice President and COO Chris Moll in the member letter.
Nicotine Insider will continue to update this story if additional information becomes available.
