Sampoerna Proves Indonesian Talent Capable of Leading 13 Asia-Pacific Markets
PT HM Sampoerna Tbk, or Sampoerna, together with its parent company, Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI), places talent development as a crucial foundation to confront ongoing business transformation and dynamics.
Sampoerna and PMI implement a meritocracy-based talent management system. This system encourages employees to continuously enhance their competencies and performance, while opening equal development opportunities.
Through this approach, employees not only have opportunities to work at the national level but also regionally and globally. This aligns with the Indonesian government’s vision, which positions human resource development as one of the national priorities to strengthen the competitiveness of Indonesian talent.
In human resource development, PMI positions Indonesia through Sampoerna as one of the strategic talent sources within the company’s global network. Cross-functional and cross-country assignments are part of efforts to build regional and global leadership succession.
This commitment is reflected, among others, in the assignment of Elvira Lianita. This Sampoerna Director is now entrusted with a larger role as Vice President Corporate Affairs East & Southeast Asia, Pacific, and PMI Global Travel Retail.
Alongside her new assignment at PMI, Elvira has submitted her resignation from Sampoerna’s Board of Directors. This resignation is scheduled to be included in the agenda of Sampoerna’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on 18 May 2026.
In her new role, Elvira will lead the strategy and execution of Corporate Affairs in 13 markets, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and PMI Global Travel Retail.
These responsibilities encompass strengthening relationships with stakeholders related to regulation, policy, science, and corporate communications to support the company’s transformation agenda. This mandate also demonstrates PMI’s trust in Elvira’s leadership and the capability of Indonesian talent to play a role in broader-scale decision-making.
Elvira joined PMI in 2001. Since then, she has held various strategic roles in corporate affairs, ranging from regulation, fiscal policy, stakeholder relations at local to national levels, international trade, to corporate communications.
With extensive experience and cross-field competencies, Elvira was appointed as Director of Corporate Affairs and became part of Sampoerna’s management and Board of Directors in 2018.
For her leadership and contributions to the company and society, Elvira has received several awards. Among them are the Puspa Adi Daya in the Anugerah Puspa Bangsa event organised by Kompas TV in 2025 and 2026, as well as the PR Persons Award from The Iconomics in 2023 and 2024.
Currently, around 70 Sampoerna employees are undertaking strategic roles in various countries, from Europe, the United States, Asia, to the Middle East. These assignments affirm the capability of Indonesian talent to contribute at regional and global levels.
This step also shows that sustainable investment in human resource development is an important pillar for Sampoerna and PMI in supporting business transformation and long-term talent development agendas.