From Cigarettes to Smoke-Free: What Real Transformation Actually Takes with Dr. Kaleen Love, U.S. Chief People & Culture Officer at Philip Morris International US (PMI)

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When organizations try to transform, the strategy is usually the easy part. The hard part is moving people through uncertainty, resistance, power shifts, and identity change while the business keeps operating.

Dr. Kaleen Love, Chief People and Culture Officer at Philip Morris International, shares what it actually takes to lead large-scale transformation inside a legacy company working toward a smoke-free future by 2030. From power dynamics and passive resistance to culture, burnout, AI, and courageous leadership, this is a candid look at how real change actually happens.

LEGACY MEETS REINVENTION…

From cigarettes… to smoke-free.

What does real organizational transformation actually take?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Kaleen Love, U.S. Chief People and Culture Officer at Philip Morris International, to explore what it looks like to lead change inside one of the most complex business transformations happening in real time.

As PMI works toward a smoke-free future by 2030, Kaleen shares a candid look at the human side of transformation. From power dynamics and passive resistance to burnout, culture, leadership, and AI, this conversation breaks down why change is never just about strategy. It’s about how people respond when identity, control, and the future all start shifting at once.

We explore:

  • Why resistance at work is often a signal, not a problem

  • How power dynamics shape employee behavior during change

  • Why traditional change management breaks down at scale

  • The difference between managing change and leading it

  • How organizations can build culture that actually supports transformation

  • Why human judgment matters even more in an AI-enabled workplace

  • The role of courage, energy management, and self-awareness in modern leadership

A practical, thoughtful, and refreshingly honest conversation about what it really takes to move an organization from strategy to execution.

About Dr. Kaleen Love:
Dr. Kaleen Love (PhD) is a pioneering social scientist, organizational strategist, and the U.S. Chief People & Culture Officer at Philip Morris International (PMI). She joined PMI in 2021 to lead organizational strategy for 80,000 employees globally and took over her current role leading the PMI U.S. People & Culture team in 2023, supporting the company's mission of a smoke-free future.

Prior to her tenure at PMI, Kaleen held various roles in the public and private sectors. For the first decade of her career, she worked primarily with NGOs and government institutions, focusing on gender equality, women’s empowerment and reproductive health.

Kaleen transitioned to the private sector in 2008 as a consultant with McKinsey & Company, focusing on financial services clients. She later joined Capital One, where, as chief of staff to the president of the company’s retail and direct bank, she led the communication team and founded the bank’s first centralized customer insights, research and analytics function.

Kaleen holds a master’s degree and a PhD in international development from the University of Oxford.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.

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