Mohammad Agrabawi

Before joining the ANDS team as the Director of Government Affairs, Public Policy, & Communications, Mohammad honed his leadership, management, and government engagement skills at the Jordanian Foreign ministry. He started as a diplomat and climbed the ranks from an Assistant to the Chief of Protocol to the Head of Consular Section in Jordanian embassies in both Cairo and Abu Dhabi, before finally landing the role as the Head of External Affairs (JOR & PAA) at Philip Morris International in Jordan.

His go-getter attitude helped him succeed in securing a differentiated Excise Structure for the company's Heated Tobacco product (IQOS) with a 78% reduction compared to conventional cigarettes. He also successfully managed to freeze tax increases on tobacco products in Jordan for two years in a row and headed the Anti-illicit trade and Ant-Diversion function in Jordan, resulting in more than three significant legislative changes in anti-illicit trade laws through his engagement with the Jordanian government.

Here is what Mohammad has to say:

“As a true believer in the role of novel tobacco and electronic nicotine delivery solutions; to switch smokers from conventional smoking to potentially reduced-risk products, advocating governments to discuss, understand, and act towards properly regulating these products, is at the core of my department - to allow smokers access to scientifically-backed nicotine replacement solutions.”