LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE/Euronext Paris: PM) today was recognized as a Top employer in Europe for the fourth consecutive year, and for the first time in the Middle East, in recognition of the company’s excellent work environment and exceptional development opportunities for employees. Top Employer certification is the result of an independent assessment by the Top Employers Institute, which has recognized PMI as a leading employer in 24 countries across Europe and the Middle East.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160210005117/en/

“The recognition of Philip Morris International as Top Employer Europe for the fourth consecutive year, including additional countries being certified, is a clear signal of how we continue to strive for excellence to keep PMI a great place to work and how we constantly challenge ourselves to provide a unique work environment and experience for our people in the region and across the globe,” said Victoria Shevchuk, Vice President Human Resources EU and PMI Labor Relations. “Our ongoing focus is to continuously develop our people, allowing them to advance our business further for today and for tomorrow.”

“We are proud to be certified as Top Employer Middle East for the first time,” said Alejandro Lamas, Vice President Human Resources Eastern Europe, Middle East & Duty Free. “This important recognition is a great testament to our ongoing focus to provide challenging and meaningful work experiences to our people. We aim to become the best employer in every market in which we operate within the region.”

National honors went to PMI teams in Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy (including the Manufacturing and Technology Facility in Bologna), Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, Ukraine and the UK.

PMI employs more than 82,000 people worldwide. The company offers robust learning and development initiatives, strong reward and recognition programs, as well as challenging career opportunities in a global and diverse environment. In 2015 alone, nearly 1,400 of PMI’s employees worked outside their home country on an international assignment in different functional areas and across the globe.

Top Employer certification

The Top Employer certification is awarded by the Top Employer Institute following a robust assessment, validated by the auditing company Grant Thornton, of the companies’ practices in a number of areas, including compensation and employee benefits, career development, working conditions and training and development.

###

Philip Morris International Inc.

Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is the leading international tobacco company, with six of the world's top 15 international brands, including Marlboro, the number one cigarette brand worldwide. PMI's products are sold in more than 180 markets. In 2015, the company held an estimated 15.6% share of the estimated total international cigarette market outside of the U.S., or 28.7% excluding the People's Republic of China and the U.S. For more information, see www.pmi.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160210005117/en/

CONTACT:

Media enquiries
Philip Morris International media office
T: +41 (0)58 242 4500
E: media@pmi.com

Philip Morris International Recognized as Top Employer in Europe and the Middle East (Graphic: Business Wire)