Flashpoint: Resiliency Requires Innovation, Inclusion and Trust in Science | Mainstage

The world has changed and building a better world depends on new blueprints. The COVID-19 pandemic, said Jacek Olczak, CEO of Philip Morris International (PMI), demonstrated the need to address global challenges with open doors.

There is an opportunity to rebuild through new partnerships and frameworks. Olczak expressed his belief that the old ways halt progress and new relationships will be required to rebuild. Specifically, he highlighted PMI’s commitment to science and innovation to develop smoke-free products. This reduction in harm, he continued, should be embraced rather than subjected to the old status quo resistance. It is time, Olczak said, to work together intelligently to create a better tomorrow through collaboration, diversity, and inclusivity. Public health should be the priority now over ancient grudges, as PMI works to unsmoke the world.

• The old paradigms have shifted. We need a new acceptance of belief in science and harm minimization.