Philip Morris International (PMI) appointed Liviu Vornicu as Commercial Operations Director of Philip Morris Romania, from June 1, 2025. He took over the position at Claudiu Ilian, who was named Country Manager of Philip Morris Slovenia.
Liviu Vornicu started his professional path at Philip Morris Romania in 2001. Throughout his career he has occupied numerous management positions such as Strategic Planning, Business Development, Marketing, Sales and Corporate Affairs. It has accumulated a vast international experience, and the performances have led to the promotion in various functions, including the headquarters of Philip Morris International in Lausanne (Switzerland). Between 2013–2019, he led commercial operations in Georgia, then in Morocco, as general manager. Between 2021 and 2023, he held management positions in Russia and Eastern Europe, with a focus on commercial development, and from 2023 he drove the company's operations for a cluster of 6 countries in South Asia and Indochina.
In his new role, Liviu Vornicu will accelerate the transition to smoke -free products and continue to strengthen the company's position in the market.
“I am honored to return home in Romania, and to take over the position of Commercial Operations director within Philip Morris Romania at such an important moment for transforming the company and industry. We are constantly concerned about understanding the needs and behavior of adult consumers, in order to be able to adapt in a responsible way the presence of our products in the market. We believe in a future where cigarettes will become a relic of the past. Our mission is to replace them with better alternatives for adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke and strive to achieve this as soon as possible. These alternatives to cigarettes already exist and are products based on science, innovation and technology. In the commercial organization, we focus our efforts for our trade partners and adult smokers to have access to them and understand their benefits compared to the continuation of smoking. We are committed to continuing the process of innovation and providing new alternative adult smokers. Only in this way can we build a smoke -free Romania.”, Said Liviu Vornicu.
Philip Morris Romania is affiliated with Philip Morris International, a company that transforms the tobacco industry to build a smoke -free future. The vision of the company is to replace cigarettes with innovative smoke -free products that – although not risk -free – are a better choice than continuing.
The commercial strategy of Philip Morris Romania is based on the “multicategory” approach and offers a variety of products in the category of smoke-free alternatives, from devices that heat tobacco to nicotine envelopes, to meet the various needs of consumers in a market that has constantly evolved. IQOS, the electronic tobacco heating system developed by the PMI, intended exclusively for adult users, was launched in Romania in October 2015 and has grown constantly since its launch, being the leader of the category of smoke -free products.
The PMI made significant investments in the Otopeni factory-over 730 million dollars in 2017-to develop consumables production capabilities for innovative alternatives developed by PMI, investments that have transformed it into a state-of-the-art factory.
**
Philip Morris Romania's management team is composed of Carmina Fusté (Managing Director), Kurnia Adhi Sulistyawan (Manufacturing Director), Liviu Vornicu (Commercial Operations Director), Marek Gebsky (Director Smoke-Free Products), Roxana Pântea (External director Affairs), Mihai Galiș (Director Strategy & Project Development), Gerasimos Contoguris (Director of People & Culture), Sergiu Indrei (Director of Category Fuels), Emma Zeicescu (Director Communications), Denisa Cristea (Business Planning) and Răzvan Costi
(Senior counsel).
***
Philip Morris International: A global leader in building a smoke -free future
Philip Morris International (PMI) is a top international consumer goods company that aims to build a smoke-free future and expand, in the long term, the portfolio of products outside the product sector containing tobacco or nicotine. The current product portfolio of the company consists mainly in cigarettes and smoke -free products, including products that heat tobacco without burning it and nicotine envelopes. On December 31, 2024, smoke -free products developed by PMI were available for sale in 95 markets, and PMI estimates that about 38.6 million adults worldwide use the smoke -free products developed by the company. Smoke -free products represented about 42% of the total net income of the PMI in the first quarter of 2025.
Since 2008, the PMI has invested over $ 14 billion to develop, scientifically substantiate and market innovative smoke -free products for adults who would continue to smoke, in order to completely stop the sale of cigarettes. For this, world scientific evaluation capacities have been built, especially in preclinical fields, such as systems toxicology, in clinical and behavioral research, as well as in market introduction.
Following a solid analysis based on scientific evidence, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the marketing of the SNUS General product and Nicotine Zyn envelopes at Swedish Match and versions of the IQOS device developed by the PMI, as well as the related consumables, the first such authorizations in the respective categories. Versions of the IQOS device and the related supplies, as well as the SNUS General product have obtained for the first time and the authorization as a modified risk tobacco products.
With a solid basis and a significant expertise in life sciences, the PMI has the ambition to expand in the wellness and health care fields and aims to improve the quality of life by providing integrated health solutions.
For more information you can visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com
