João Brigido, until now director of Tabaqueira, was appointed director of the factory of the mother house Philip Morris International (PMI) located in Crespellano, Bologna, which is the largest unit of the group worldwide, according to a press release.
© FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images
02/09/2026
by
Lusa
Tobacco
A italian unit was the first factory of PMI dedicated to producing heated tobacco products and currently hosts the largest center of excellence of the group dedicated to industrialization, process innovation, engineering and sustainability, working in conjunction with the global R&D center in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
João Brigido entered the PMI in Portugal in 1999 and served as a leader in several affiliates of the North American group, including the positions of director of operations in South Korea and Brazil.
In 2019, he headed the Batangas and Marikina factories in the Philippines and, in 2021, was appointed director of the PMI plant in Romania, one of the main consumable units for IQOS devices, before returning to Portugal to lead the Tabaqueira plant in a period of investment and export enhancement.
The smoke-free product segment, where PMI has already invested US$16 billion (about EUR 13.8 billion) represented 41% of the group’s net revenue in 2025.
Tabaqueira, a subsidiary of PMI since 1997, is one of the largest exporting companies in the country, with more than 90% of the production destined for international markets.
CT // EA
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