Chief People & Culture Officer, U.S., PMI | ex-McKinsey and Capital One | Oxford Masters & PhD | International social, public, private sector impact
ANNIVERSARY ALERT! Just over one year ago, I moved back from Switzerland to the U.S. as a single mom with my four cats, three dogs, and two daughters (living creatures not listed in order of priority 😆). As you might imagine, this wasn’t a simple exercise, so it needed to be worth it. Looking back, I’m so glad I said yes when Frederic Patitucci asked if I would consider being the Chief People & Culture Officer for PMI’s One U.S. affiliate. At the time, I was about two years into my tenure at Philip Morris International. As the Head of Strategy & Planning for our global People & Culture function, I had a tremendous birds-eye view of the company, had built a network of relationships with exceptional colleagues, and had fallen in love with our strong sense of purpose and passion. I understand we have skeptics – which is fair – and yet each day I’m privileged to see the conviction our people feel around our smoke-free mission and the consumers we serve. I loved being part of P&C. It brought together my years of studying people with my years of strategy and business transformation. It allowed me to think analytically while staying rooted in the reality of what makes us human. But when I first thought about moving back to the U.S., my initial instinct was to decline. My children were happy, and we were settled. That’s when Stacey Kennedy, our fearless U.S. CEO, painted a picture of the significant growth story we could write – in the face of challenging obstacles – and I was sold. I said yes to joining PMI in 2021 for three reasons: - The ability to have a meaningful impact on the one billion smokers in the world by providing them with better science-backed alternatives - The size and scale of the business transformation - The opportunity for my daughters to be part of a global community I said yes to joining PMI’s U.S. business in 2023 for all of the above reasons, and more. My “yes, and” was the absolute joy that comes from tackling new things with great people. Will the journey be tough? Yes. Will it be rewarding? Absolutely. To succeed we will have to learn, grow, and band together to figure things out as a team. ❤️ It's hard to believe more than 12 months have passed since then. Both my girls lost their two front teeth, I gained some gray hairs, and we found a new rhythm to life. Somehow, we’re making it happen (thank you, Amazon next-day delivery). Now every day, I get to wake up and play a hand in creating a workplace that embraces our U.S. team of 2,300+ super-talented employees. We’re rolling up our sleeves to get the work done, which I love, and we have the chance to build something big. There are so many new complexities and nuances to navigate each day, and surprises around every corner. As I often say, if you want a boring job, don’t apply here. 😎
Congrats for the journey and totally agree with your last sentence.
When they say women can do it all, I believe they would point to this story as an example! Wow! Congratulations on your one year anniversary and to pursuing an opportunity where you feel passionate about making a difference. And the gift you are giving your girls, who you are modeling courage for, is priceless.
Very interesting career, Kaleen. Love the international path you’ve taken. I spent 5 years as an expat, so your journey resonated. Would love to interview you on our HR Executive Interview Series!
We are pleased to have you on board. Your leadership of the US PMI/SM P&C organization has been outstanding. I have enjoyed and look forward to participating in this continued successful story.
Kaleen Love (PhD) Sooooo grateful and glad you said YES 🙌⭐️ and so glad your girls are doing so well! Great post! Love it!! 🙏❤️
You’re my hero! Seriously, Wonder Woman? Super Woman? (Your daughters are Supergirls!)
So happy you guys moved 😀
Beautiful thence and now photos. The daughters seem to have real improv talent.
We are so blessed to have you here with us at Swedish Match. It was great bumping into you in the elevator last week. I think I was star struck (lol).
Chief People & Culture Officer, U.S., PMI | ex-McKinsey and Capital One | Oxford Masters & PhD | International social, public, private sector impact
2moPicture shows first day of first grade, less than a week after landing on U.S. soil, vs first day of second grade one year later! When will they stop growing 😭