Japan Tobacco International (JTI) Philippines has announced the appointment of Guilherme Silva as its new general manager, effective January 2025.
Silva returns to the Philippines, where he previously served as marketing director in 2011. Over the years, he has held various leadership roles across JTI’s global markets, including as head of JTI Cambodia (2014), general manager of JTI Malaysia (2016), vice president for marketing and sales in Western Europe (2018), and most recently, general manager of the Iberia cluster covering Spain, Portugal, Andorra, the Canary Islands, and Gibraltar since 2020.
“I’m excited to return to the Philippines and lead a dynamic market where JTI has become the country’s fastest-growing tobacco company,” Silva said. “Our continued growth in the Philippines will be driven by product innovation and consumer-centric initiatives, especially as we expand our presence in the Reduced-Risk Products category with offerings like Ploom and Nordic Spirit.”
Silva also expressed enthusiasm for working with the team at JTI Philippines, which has been recognized as a Top Employer since 2022 and was the first company in the country to earn EY’s Global Equality Standard certificate.
He succeeds John Freda, who has moved on to become general manager of JTI’s Iberia market cluster in Madrid. JTI thanked Freda for his contributions and leadership, which helped the company achieve notable market share growth during his tenure.
