By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- New Leadership: Daniele Aita has been appointed Chief People & Culture Officer for PMI U.S.
- Global Experience: Aita has held several senior HR positions since joining PMI in 2019.
- U.S. Focus: He will report directly to CEO Stacey Kennedy as PMI expands its smoke-free business.
Philip Morris International is bringing another veteran of its smoke-free transformation to its U.S. leadership team.
PMI’s U.S. businesses have appointed Daniele Aita as Chief People & Culture Officer, overseeing the company’s U.S. people and culture strategy as the company continues to expand its smoke-free operations.
Aita joins the U.S. Leadership Team and reports directly to Stacey Kennedy, CEO of PMI U.S. Most recently, he served as Vice President, People & Culture, Region Europe. “Our people are at the heart of our success, and we are pleased to welcome Daniele to the U.S. business as we continue to advance our smoke-free mission and grow,” Kennedy said.
She credited Aita with helping to shape PMI’s global people strategy and supporting its transition to smoke-free products. “His leadership, commitment to the PMI culture, and ability to develop talent make him exceptionally well positioned to lead our U.S. People & Culture function as we enter our next phase of growth,” Kennedy said.
Aita joined PMI in 2019 as Senior Director, People & Culture, Commercial, helping establish the company’s Smoke-Free Products organization across international markets. He later became Vice President, People & Culture, Smoke-Free Products Category, before taking on his European regional role.
He brings more than 20 years of international human resources experience across multiple industries and markets, with a focus on organizational transformation, leadership development, and talent management.
Aita said his priorities will include aligning PMI’s organizational structure with its smoke-free ambitions, strengthening talent development, and supporting employee performance. “Our growth at PMI U.S. will be fueled by three things: an organization built to win, strong talent at every level, and a culture where people can be at their best every day,” Aita said.
“My priority is to make all three stronger: designing our structures around our smoke-free ambitions, building deep and dense talent pipelines, and embedding a culture where people feel supported, challenged, and inspired to deliver their best work,” he added.
