Tobacco Asia

58 tobaccoasia CLOSING NEWS 卷尾新闻 Japan Tobacco Names New C.E.O. Japan Tobacco (JT) unveiled a revised leadership structure that will see current president and c.e.o. Masamichi Terabatake shift to the role of deputy chairperson of the board. Takehiko Tsutsui, now executive vice president of Japan Tobacco International (JTI), will assume the positions of president, c.e.o., and representative director. The leadership change comes as the company looks to deepen its focus on the reduced‑ risk products (RRP) segment. During Terabatake's tenure, JT carried out major organizational reforms, most notably the integration of its domestic tobacco business with JTI to create a more unified global operating structure. Terabatake took over as president at a time when the company faced pressure on its earnings base due to the rapid rise of IQOS. In response, he established a framework that supported aggressive investment in RRP development and expansion. His leadership coincided with a series of external challenges, including the Covid‑19 pandemic, the Russia‑Ukraine conflict, and significant foreign exchange volatility. Despite those headwinds, the company achieved steady growth in its RRP business, reflecting the impact of the strategic and structural changes intro‑ duced under Terabatake's direction. With Tsutsui stepping into the top executive role, the company aims to sharpen its focus on the expanding RRP market and build on the foundation laid during the previous leadership phase. The management reshuffle positions JT to pursue further growth in reduced‑risk products while maintaining continuity at the board level. PCA Launches Luxury Education Program The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) has launched a new executive education initiative aimed at strengthening leadership, hospitality, and brand strategy across the premium cigar sector. The inaugural Luxury Marketing & Experiences Program, developed in collaboration with Florida International University's Hospitality Executive Education, brought more than 40 industry professionals to Miami from November 19–21 for an intensive three‑day program focused on luxury positioning and experiential excellence. The program was designed to give cigar manufacturers, retailers, lounge operators, and hospitality students practical tools to compete in an increasingly sophisticated global luxury market. Participants traveled from across the US, with additional representation from the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Spain, and Hungary, underscor‑ ing the association's expanding international reach and the global momentum behind premium cigar culture. Sessions centered on how premium cigars fit within the broader luxury ecosystem, with discus‑ sions covering brand storytelling, experiential retail, responsible marketing, and high‑touch hospitality. More than two dozen speakers from across the cigar, luxury goods, media, and hospitality sectors shared case studies and applied insights, examining how crafts‑ manship, heritage, and sensory rituals shape consumer expectations. Several sessions drew comparisons with long‑established luxury tradi‑ tions in Asia, highlighting parallels between cigar enjoyment and rituals found in tea culture, incense, and artisanal craftsmanship. Ricardo Carioni, PCA director of education, summarized the collaboration as an affirmation that cigar culture "belongs in academia among global luxury sectors." The curriculum highlighted three core themes essential for long‑term success: creating emotional connections through crafted moments, executing hospitality fundamentals with consistency and precision, and aligning product, service, environment, and narrative to build sustainable brand value. From these themes, the program delivered actionable guidance for cigar lounges and retailers, including purposeful storytelling around provenance, intentional lounge design, personalized service, structured pairing programs, and strategic collaborations with complementary luxury brands. The program concluded with an off‑site experiential session at Empire Social Lounge in Fort Lauderdale, where participants examined how atmosphere, pairing strategy, and sensory branding translate theory into practice. PCA board member Jay Davis described the experience as helping guests "cross the bridge from the ordinary to the extraordinary." "This was an important step in the PCA's initiative to profession‑ alize the industry and provide advanced training to people for careers in the premium cigar sector. We are grateful to FIU for pioneering this course with us which will be held annually in the future," said Joshua Habursky, PCA c.e.o./executive director. The next edition of the Luxury Marketing & Experiences Program will take place in Miami from September 28 to October 2, continuing the association's push to professionalize and elevate premium cigar hospitality through targeted education and global perspective. Registration is open at https://hospitalityexed.fiu.edu/courses/pca‑luxury‑marketing‑experiences‑ program‑cohort‑2/. Scientists Eye Tobacco for Biofuel Researchers at Henan Agricultural University are testing a new role for tobacco plants, shifting the crop's purpose from cigarette production to bioethanol fuel. Scientists at the National Tobacco Cultivation, Physiol‑ ogy and Biochemistry Research Centre lead the work, which outlines a streamlined method for converting tobacco leaves into ethanol. The team uses a process that autoclaves fresh tobacco leaves in water at moderate temperature and pressure. This step dissolves more than 65% of the plant's biomass and produces a nutrient‑rich liquid suitable for microbial fermentation. The approach avoids the energy‑ intensive chemical pretreatments that conventional biorefineries rely on. PCA and FIU launched a new program focused on luxury positioning and experiential excellence. Credit: PCA & FIU.

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