Donnica Hawes-Saunders is recognized as a mission-driven, collaborative relationship builder who delivers transformational results at the intersection of business imperatives and social impact. At Philip Morris International (PMI), Donnica develops and oversees global and U.S. public affairs outreach and external communication engagements for the company in civil society as PMI moves out of the cigarette business and towards a smoke-free future. With over a decade of experience in the private sector and on Capitol Hill, Donnica focuses on connecting public policy and corporate priorities with an emphasis on politically astute, coalition-based communications and strategic partnerships.
In 2022, Donnica was awarded Yahoo Finance EMpower 100 Global Future Leaders & Top 20 Highest Achieving Changemakers for her strategy, execution, and advocacy in global corporate diversity and inclusion. In 2021, she was awarded the PRISM International Corporate Diversity Impact Award for creating and institutionalizing Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) programming at Philip Morris International. In 2019 and 2020, Donnica was named one of the Top Lobbyists and Influencers in D.C. by Lawyers of Color magazine. Donnica holds a J. D. from the University of Dayton School of Law, and received a B.A., magna cum laude, in Sociology and Anthropology from Spelman College.