Melissa Whiting joined Philip Morris International (PMI) in 2001 as a lawyer in Australia. Since then, she has held a variety of roles in the Law Department covering Australia, Asia and Eastern Europe. In 2017 Melissa was appointed Vice President Inclusion & Diversity. In this role, Melissa is responsible for leading PMI’s strategy and practices to create an inclusive workplace for everyone to achieve their personal best and contribute to PMI’s ambition of replacing cigarettes with better alternatives to smoking as soon as possible. Her advancement within the organization has highlighted the value of empowering women in the workplace and the corporate benefits of equality, fairness and diversity. An avid adventurer—Melissa has hiked in the Himalaya, up Kilimanjaro, around Mt Blanc and across the Pyrenees—she believes curiosity, perseverance and pushing through discomfort are key to growth and fulfillment.