Steen Hjortholm

Steen Hjortholm is Regional Vice President, People & Culture for the SSEA, CIS & MEA region at Philip Morris International (PMI). In this role, he leads the company’s people strategy across diverse and dynamic markets, championing inclusive leadership, organizational agility and people-centric transformation aligned with PMI’s smoke-free vision.

With nearly three decades at PMI, Steen brings a rare blend of strategic foresight and operational experience across commercial, business unit and HR leadership roles. Prior to his current appointment in 2022, he served as Vice President People & Culture for PMI Russia, where he played a key role in driving talent development and capability building during a period of significant organizational change and business growth.

Earlier in his career, Steen held leadership roles across South & Eastern Africa, the Levant, Hungary and Romania, including as Managing Director and Area Director. He has overseen multimarket operations, led major acquisitions and integrations, and designed global capability-building programs such as the PMI Brand Building Academy. His track record includes driving growth, building effective organizations and transforming underperforming markets through purpose-led leadership and cross-functional collaboration.

Steen holds an Executive MBA and has completed executive training at INSEAD. A culturally astute leader with deep regional knowledge of Central & Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, he is known for his empathetic leadership style, strong commercial acumen and commitment to building high-performing resilient teams.