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| PMI Global Travel Retail Conference 2025 – Bold ideas, shared growth. |
Beste Ermaner: The Courage to Unlearn
Beste’s keynote was a masterclass in vulnerability and transformation. Returning from Russia to lead Smoke Free Products, Beste candidly shared how past successes became blind spots in a new context. Her journey of unlearning—letting go of familiar recipes and embracing new paradigms like B2C, digital sensory experiences, and call centres—was not just professional, but deeply personal.
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| A moment with Beste Ermaner – Unlearning, growing, connecting. |
She reminded us that growth begins with kindness to oneself, especially when facing failure. Her story of three reorganisations in 18 months and the unintended creation of silos was a powerful lesson in humility and the importance of zooming out to see the bigger picture. Her call to treat feedback as a gift and to shift our mindset towards openness and collective improvement was a rallying cry for all leaders.
“We need a pledge to not take feedback personally, but to see it as an opportunity to get better, more connected, and more successful.”
Vassilis Gkatzelis: The Power of Multiplication
Vassilis brought a strategic lens to the conversation, describing GTR as a “Multiplier”—a force that amplifies impact across consumers, partners, and people. From doubling multi-category markets to quadrupling ZYN volumes, GTR’s performance is not just impressive—it’s exponential.
He highlighted how GTR creates win-win scenarios with partners, drives global talent development, and opens white spaces in markets like India and the US. His storytelling—especially the tale of Hamza the food truck owner—was a brilliant example of simplifying complex business challenges through relatable narratives.
“Communication is my constant evolution. With simple stories, people understand the message in a much simpler way.”
Vassilis also shared his own mistakes, particularly around communication gaps across cultures and functions. His humility and humour made his message all the more powerful: keep learning, keep adapting, and keep multiplying.
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| Beste Ermaner, Vassilis Gkatzelis, Ilaria Gregotti, and Mami Sakamaki – A powerful chorus for growth. |
Ilaria Gregotti: Growth as a Shared Journey
Joining from Tokyo, Ilaria framed growth as the living expression of PMI’s DNA. She emphasised that personal growth fuels business growth, and vice versa. Her message was clear: we must move beyond the binary of success and failure, and instead embrace learning as a continuous journey.
“Growth is not just about the next position—it’s about the skills and experiences we need to develop to progress.”
Ilaria’s call to shift our mindset from “pass or fail” to “what have I learned?” was a timely reminder that transformation starts with each of us. Her perspective as Regional VP of People and Culture added depth to the conversation, reinforcing that growth is a collective responsibility.
Final Thoughts
This open forum was more than a conference—it was a moment of reflection, connection, and inspiration. Beste taught us to unlearn and be kind to ourselves. Vassilis showed us how to multiply impact through clarity and storytelling. Ilaria reminded us that growth is a shared journey, rooted in learning and self-awareness.
Together, their voices form a powerful chorus for the future of PMI: one that is humble, bold, and relentlessly focused on growth.
Related Insight: Toni’s Keynote on Brutal Truth & Simple Rules
During the same conference, I also had the chance to attend another standout session:
This keynote offered a refreshing take on leadership clarity, decision-making, and the power of simplicity—perfectly complementing the themes of growth, unlearning, and communication shared by Beste, Vassilis, and Ilaria.
If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend checking it out for a deeper dive into the mindset shifts shaping PMI’s leadership culture.
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