PMI invests in new global business service hub in PH

Philip Morris International inaugurated on Friday (June 10) its new global business solutions hub, the PMI Business Solutions Philippines at the 8 Rockwell building. The new business entity will create more job opportunities and is a testament to PMI’s confidence on the Philippine economy. Present at the inauguration were (left to right) Arturas Bumblys, head of consumer experience PMFTC; Eduardo Tsang, director finance and planning and IT PMFTC; Sharmini Krishnan, president PMI Business Solutions, Philippines; Denis Gorkun, president PMTFC; Andreea Chiriac, director people and culture PMFTC; Michael Tan, president and COO LT Group. (Contributed photo)

MAKATI, PHILIPPINES—Philip Morris International (PMI) is expanding its economic footprint in the Philippines as it invests in a new global business service hub based in Manila.

The global shared service center, registered as PMI Business Solutions (Philippines) Inc., will render integrated business solutions to PMI affiliates in Asia-Pacific, including the Philippines, and Europe.

This is in addition to services to be rendered to PMFTC Inc., a business combination between LT Group Inc. and PMI, which is leading the transformation of the Philippine tobacco industry.

The global shared service center is expected to create hundreds of new jobs in the next three years, coming at an opportune time amid the economic disruptions brought by the pandemic.

The wealth of Filipino talent and niche skills was the driving factor in PMI’s choice of Manila as a strategic global hub.

“The Philippines was chosen as a strategic location because of the diverse talent pool and availability in the country that would enable us to launch new capabilities to fuel transformation across PMI,” said PBS president Sharmini Krishnan.

At the inauguration of the new office at 8 Rockwell, Makati City, Krishnan said “Global Hub – Manila will enable the design of digital and global solutions for PMI and deliver business solutions in the area of Finance, People & Culture and Information Technology.” It is the second global center established by PMI. The first was in Krakow, Poland.

The global service hub is part of PMI’s multi-year investment and economic value creation plan in the Philippines that would create almost 1,000 new jobs on top of 2 million already employed individuals and their dependents in the rotational rice-maize- tobacco industry in both upstream and downstream of the value chain.

The new company is developing from a transactional to an expert-based organization, expanding beyond finance services to areas related to customer and consumer solutions, data analytics and project management. Today, it serves more than 30 countries with more than 350 colleagues.

PMI’s expansion in the Philippines came in the heels of its ambitious smoke-free future vision to one day stop selling cigarettes. The additional investment is a testament to PMI’s confidence and commitment to the Philippine economy.

TSB