CPG, Wine & Spirits Veteran Seth Kaufman Joins PMI U.S. as Chief Commercial Officer as Company Expands Smoke-Free Portfolio to Meet Growing Demand

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PMI U.S., which is on a mission to improve public health by providing smoke-free alternatives to legal-age nicotine consumers, announced today that Seth Kaufman will become its U.S. chief commercial officer. Kaufman, a veteran of the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, including wine & spirits, will lead commercial strategy for smoke-free products, including ZYN nicotine pouches, General snus and the IQOS heat-not-burn device. He will report to PMI U.S. CEO Stacey Kennedy as a member of the U.S. executive team.

“As we invest in U.S. manufacturing and create new American jobs to meet the growing demand for our smoke-free products, Seth’s expertise in commercial marketing and in leading transformative growth strategies will accelerate our mission to improve public health by providing the 45 million legal-age nicotine consumers in the U.S. — 30 million of whom still smoke traditional cigarettes — with better alternatives,” said PMI U.S. CEO Stacey Kennedy.

PMI entered the U.S. market for the first time in late 2022 acquiring Swedish Match, which has sold ZYN nicotine pouches in the U.S. for more than a decade through its U.S. division. In January 2025, following extensive scientific review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the marketing of 20 ZYN nicotine pouch products, finding these products to be “appropriate for the protection of public health.” ZYN is the first and only FDA-authorized nicotine pouch. PMI U.S. affiliates are also introducing IQOS, the first FDA-authorized device that heats tobacco instead of burning it, significantly reducing exposure to harmful chemicals compared to traditional cigarettes.

In 2024, PMI U.S. affiliates announced investment in a new facility in Aurora, Colorado, to produce ZYN nicotine pouches, along with a significant expansion of the Swedish Match facility in Owensboro, Kentucky, that currently makes ZYN.

Kaufman brings nearly 30 years of experience in growing CPG businesses in the U.S. He spent nearly two decades moving up the ranks at PepsiCo, including as chief marketing officer and president of PepsiCo North America Nutrition and The Hive. He was president & CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy North America before leading an enterprise-wide restructuring process at Vintage Wine Estates in California as president & CEO. Kaufman holds an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Business Insider named him to its Top 50 Most Innovative CMOs in the World list, and the American Advertising Federation elected him to its Hall of Achievement.

Kaufman begins his new role on March 31, 2025, and will be based at PMI’s corporate headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.

Philip Morris International: Delivering a smoke-free future

Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., and its U.S. affiliates have more than 2,500 employees. PMI’s U.S. affiliates are on a mission to improve public health by providing the nearly 30 million legal-age U.S. consumers who smoke and other legal-age nicotine consumers with innovative products that are better alternatives to continued smoking. Since 2008, PMI’s affiliates have invested $14 billion globally to develop, scientifically substantiate and commercialize innovative smoke-free products. PMI’s U.S. affiliates operate smoke-free product manufacturing facilities, including the Swedish Match North America Owensboro, Ky., plant that makes ZYN nicotine pouches and a facility in Wilson, N.C., that produces HEETS, the consumable for the IQOS heated tobacco device. Swedish Match North America has a regional office in Richmond, Va.

U.S. marketing practices support 21+ access only

PMI’s U.S. affiliates are committed to responsible marketing practices focused on limiting access to adults 21+ years of age and older. PMI’s U.S. affiliates do not use social media influencers in the U.S. or people under the age of 35 in marketing materials. They also employ independent age-verification systems like “Double Verify” to direct digital advertising to those over 21, and owned digital platforms are age-gated at the point of access and restricted to current nicotine users of legal age. Swedish Match North America is a Manufacturer Advisory Council member of the We Card Program, a national nonprofit serving retailers of age-restricted products, and a founding board member and investor in TruAge^®, a free retail technology that provides stores a more accurate way of age verification, including the ability to detect fake IDs to ensure 21+ access only.

Commitment to corporate social responsibility

PMI’s U.S. affiliates have contributed approximately $25 million to charitable causes since 2022 and look to accelerate and amplify the good work of organizations already active within communities through both financial contributions and volunteering. Three key focus areas include supporting military veterans and their families, local economic development and disaster prevention and relief. PMI’s U.S. affiliates also helped form “United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade” (USA-IT), a coalition of nearly 100 national and state brand enforcement experts, law enforcement agencies, academics and leading business organizations working to combat illegal trade. USA-IT has trained more than 36,000 law enforcement officials.