Business culture

This productive tension is at the heart of our company. The range of influences that play their part in our culture often surprises people as they get to know us.

We are a young company, formed in 1999, but with a heritage that can be traced back through growth and acquisition all the way to 1784.

Our parent company is Japan Tobacco Inc, which has a significant history in Japan. Yet the international operations are headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

We do not have a culture that is predominantly Swiss, however, since we operate in 69 countries, serve more than 120 markets and employ around 100 different nationalities.

By capturing the best of both Japanese and Western business culture we have the potential to flourish as a business the world over. We blend the best of our tradition with innovation and new thinking. We are anchored by our heritage rather than hampered by it.

People culture

As a highly regulated sector, we attract and retain high-calibre people who have thriving international careers.

From the early days of our business in 1999, we have built a people-oriented culture that encourages employees to pursue their personal ambitions in achieving our goal: to be the most successsful and respected tobacco company in the world.

Our employees are encouraged to take their careers in different directions and become knowledgeable about the many aspects of our business. This helps our people to develop, and makes us a better company.

Integrity

While fast-growing, we exercise a level of corporate integrity that goes beyond compliance with regulatory requirements, demonstrating a deeper commitment to ethical, transparent and accountable behaviour.

The result is a business with a reputation for rigorous standards of governance and ethics, business planning and control systems, responsible marketing, and employer policies and a modern, progressive working environment.

Above all, regardless of role or job title, we are guided by our principles, a set of six ethical beliefs that apply to all of our activities and align us in the pursuit of our goal.