New Approaches
Conference

Derek Yach is currently an independent global health consultant who has focused his career on the holistic advancement of public health around the world. He was the founder and president of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World and a former Executive Director of the Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health at the World Health Organization (WHO) where Dr. Yach led the development of WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Mgr. Jindřich Vobořil, Pg.Dip. (born 1966) is one of the leading Czech experts on drug issues, which is evidenced by his nearly 30-year experience with the leadership and development of health care and social services and programmes related to the topic. He has systematically worked from the end of the 1980s on the organisation, development and evaluation of community services, especially in the area of drug prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. From 2000 to 2009 he actively took part in projects financed by the European Commission (the Phare LIEN and Partnership, Asia URBs, Access 2000 programmes).

He has also made good use of his extensive experience in the Czech Republic with the development, management and evaluation of community services and health care agencies on an international level: He has lectured and developed community and social advisories as part of projects in Hungary, Afghanistan, Great Britain, Russia, Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru; he has also lectured at a number of universities abroad and at numerous international conferences and workshops. He has worked as a consultant for organisations such as the European Union, the UN and the Open Society Institute.

Before taking the position as National Drug Coordinator (2010 – 2018), Jindřich Vobořil served as the chairman and executive director of Association Podané ruce; under his leadership it became the second largest non-governmental organisation in the Czech Republic in the area of drugs. Podané ruce currently provides a comprehensive system of services - from primary prevention, therapeutic community, substitution and psychotherapeutic assistance, to work with drug users in prison - in nearly 40 centers across the Czech Republic.

In February 2022, former National Drug Coordinator resigned and Vobořil became – for the second time -the new National Drug Coordinator.

Jindřich Vobořil studied education and youth work at the J. E. Purkyně University in Olomouc(Mgr.). He graduated with a PG Dip title from John Moores University inLiverpool in the field of Drug Use and Addiction. He received an advisory qualification certificate from Greenwich College, London University in London. In 2006 he was awarded a postgraduate certificate in systematic psychotherapy from the Institute of Systematic Therapy in Prague.

Jindřich Vobořil speaks English, Spanish and Russian.

Professor Marewa Glover is one of New Zealand’s leading tobacco control researchers. She has worked on reducing smoking-related harm for 31 years. She is recognized internationally for her advocacy on tobacco harm reduction; and locally was a Finalist in the New Zealander of the Year Supreme Award in 2019 recognising her contribution to reducing smoking in NZ. In 2018, Dr Glover was appointed Tobacco Section Editor for the Harm Reduction Journal. In that year she also established the Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking an international program of research aimed at reducing smoking-related harms among Indigenous peoples globally. The Centre’s research was funded through to 1 September 2024 with grants from Global Action to End Smoking (formerly known as Foundation for Smoke-Free World), an independent, U.S. nonprofit 501(c)(3) grant making organization, accelerating science-based efforts worldwide to end the smoking epidemic. Neither Marewa nor the Centre have any commercial interests in any nicotine or tobacco products.

Suely Castro is a passionate advocate for harm reduction, who has worked on assessing the impact of international approaches to Tobacco Control, focusing on the experience and real-world effectiveness of alternatives to smoking. She has dedicated nearly two decades to researching and travelling the world advocating for alternative nicotine products to be Accessible, Acceptable, and Affordable to those seeking to quit cigarettes.

Suely works tirelessly to foster collaboration and dialogue across borders. Inspired by her personal experience with the impact that smoking and the absence of alternatives can have on families, she set up Quit Like Sweden after witnessing first-handSweden’s incredible achievement. Her goal is to bring the Swedish Experience to the world to help save and improve the lives of millions of people.

Former Attorney General of Iowa,Longest-Serving State Attorney General in US History

Thomas John Miller is an American lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General of Iowa, respectively from 1979 to 1991 and from1995 to 2023. Miller's combined tenure of over 40 years in office makes him the longest-serving State Attorney General in United States history.  AsAttorney General, Miller was instrumental in leading to the creation of theMaster Settlement Agreement (MSA). The MSA’s purpose is to reduce smoking in the U.S., especially in youth. In 1998, 52 state and territory attorneys general signed the agreement to recover billions of dollars in health care costs associated with treating smoking-related illnesses.  Miller chaired The Legacy Foundation, which was created by the MSA and became theTruth Initiative in 2015. He has been a continuous advocate of harm reduction throughout his tenure taking a proactive approach with the FDA as a regulator of global importance. His opinion can be read in the WashingtonPost: Let’s not overreact about e-cigarettes. Miller holds a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.

Described by Rolling Stone as "the point man" for drug policy reform efforts and “the real drug czar,” Ethan Nadelmann (BA, JD, PhD Harvard) is widely regarded as the outstanding proponent of drug policy reform in the United States and abroad. After teaching politics and public affairs at Princeton University (1987-1994), he founded and directed first The Lindesmith Center (1994-2000) and then the Drug Policy Alliance (2000-2017). He also co-founded the Open Society Institute’s International Harm Reduction Development program. Ethan has published extensively and spoken publicly in roughly forty states and forty countries. His TED Talk has over two million views. 

Ethan and his colleagues were at the forefront of dozens of successful campaigns to legalize marijuana, reduce the incarceration of drug law offenders, advance harm reduction approaches to drug use and addiction, and otherwise promote alternatives to the war on drugs. 

Ethan hosts the leading podcast about all things drugs: PSYCHOACTIVE, and he has become increasingly engaged in the debate over tobacco harm reduction.

Owen Bennett is a senior vice president at Jefferies, covering the global tobacco and cannabis sector. He began his career in audit at Deloitte in London where he obtained his ACA. He then moved on to work forBDO in New York prior to becoming a financial analyst with a role in strategy for P&G at their Geneva headquarters. In 2010, Bennett shifted to equity research, where he has covered the tobacco space to present day and picked up cannabis coverage in 2019. He is top ranked in Institutional Investor for tobacco, including #2 the past two years, and has the most extensive cannabis coverage of any analyst, covering all Canadian, US, and cannabis ancillary. He is regularly featured in the financial press, with appearances on CNBC andBloomberg. He has a BA in Business Studies from Sheffield and an MA inGlobalization of Business from Sheffield Hallam University. He is also a CFA charter holder.

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Douglas Teitelbaum is the founder of Homewood Capital. Doug is a well-regarded turn-around specialist and serial entrepreneur.Doug previously co-owned and managed Bay Harbour Management, winning the Absolute Return Award as the 2006 Hedge Fund of the Year. Doug’s had significant background in multiple industries. In the telecom arena, his notable investments and turn-around successes include the restructuring of NextWave Telecom, PCTV, and Motient; funding and growing the then startup NextG Networks, which established the DAS industry (a then new way to architect cellular network towers); and the purchase, turn-around and sale of CLEC Telcove (formerly Adelphia Business Solutions.) Other significant successes under Doug’s ownership include Barneys New York, Planet Hollywood and the Planet Hollywood Resort andCasino (formerly the Aladdin), American Banknote, and Island One Int’l.  

Doug founded NJOY, Inc. to purchase and grow the assets of the former NJOY. Serving as the Executive Chairman of the fastest growing independent eCigarette brand, Doug played a key role in the overwhelmingly positive harm-reduction benefits that millions of former smokers have experienced. NJOY was sold in 2023 to Altria and Doug remains focused on future endeavors in the harm reduction field.

Doug is also a philanthropist with a primary focus on health issues. His work has included the fight against the obesity epidemic as a board member of Project Hope (the Harris Obesity Prevention Effort), and he supports ovarian and prostate cancer research. Doug also led a turn-around of the American Jewish Congress, the oldest American charitable organization, as its CFO and Board Member, for which he received their coveted Isaiah Award.  Doug has won a Drama Desk Award for the Gary Sinise revival of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and a Tony Award as a producer of the 2002 Best Musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. In 2023, Doug was awarded a Medallas de Oro Mayte Spinola for his work in harm reduction in tobacco.

Doug and his wife, Agatha Herrero Pidal, live in Madrid with their two daughters, ages 12 and 9. Doug also has three adult children, a 29-year-old and 26-year-old twins.

David Lawson is the Founder of Inter Scientific and Ventus Medical and serves as scientific advisor to several firms. David is a Fellow of The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs, a non-clinical expert for pharmaceuticals and lectures on the Master of Science Course on inhalation medicines. David is a biochemist by background and holds a BSc Biochemistry, LLB in Laws, an MBA and is currently completing a master's in science in Regulatory Affairs and a further master's in science in Medical Toxicology. David has over 15 years experience in the innovation, research, development, and regulation of nicotine-containing products from oral nicotine, through to vape and active nicotine patches. David was responsible for the development and licensing of the first medical electronic cigarette and has designed and conducted several pharmacokinetic studies to support regulatory submissions. David actively participates in the research of nicotine-containing products from a chemical, safety, and policy perspective. David is the technical author of a UK standard for CBD vape and has contributed to the formation of European and British standards over the past 7 years.

Rachael Trimpert Schmidt (retired CAPT, USPHS) brings over a decade of experience in regulatory and compliance solutions within the tobacco and nicotine industry. With a distinguished tenure at the FDA, serving as the Assistant Director of Laboratory Compliance & Coordination of the CTP, she spearheaded crucial initiatives to enforce the FSPTCA of 2009. During her tenure at FDA, CAPT Schmidt played a pivotal role in establishing and coordinating FDA tobacco regulatory laboratories, ensuring rigorous adherence to regulatory standards. Her leadership was instrumental in developing and executing comprehensive tobacco product testing programs, encompassing pre-market application reviews, post-market compliance assessments, adverse event evaluations, and the development of tobacco product standards. Schmidt's expertise extends to fostering collaboration with national and international stakeholders to harmonize tobacco enforcement and policy efforts.

Christopher Russell, Ph.D. is a psychologistand Director of Russell Burnett Research and Consultancy Ltd (RBRC), Glasgow, United Kingdom. In his role, Dr. Russell leads the design, conduct, and reporting of perception and behavioral research studies of reduced-risk tobacco and nicotine products, including e-cigarettes/vaping products, heated tobacco products, and modern oral tobacco products. Premarket and post-market studies are designed to yield a range of cross-sectional, experimental, and real-world observational data and information, including but not limited to: (i) the likelihood that tobacco users and non-users will initiate and adopt use of a new product in addition to, in place of, or instead of other, potentially more harmful tobacco/nicotine products; (ii) how adult consumers actually use a new product in their everyday lives in real-world settings; (iii) how cigarette smoking behavior changes following adoption of a new product (e.g., product switching, dual use, use reduction, cessation); (iv) behavioral intentions, appeal, risk perceptions, and subjective effects of a new product; and (v) consumer understanding of product labels, labelling, and marketing materials. These sources of evidence can inform regulatory evaluations of the potential impact of marketing a new tobacco/nicotine product on future tobacco use behavior and population health.

Jeannie Cameron is an expert on the WHO Framework Convention on TobaccoControl FCTC, including attending its negotiation in Geneva and the development of its subsequent Protocol on Illicit Trade. As part of an LLM in 2007, Jeannie earned a distinction from King’s College University of London for a dissertation on the topic of Emerging International Public Health Issues – Human Rights, Harm Reduction, and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control(FCTC). Jeannie has been a parliamentary advisor, chief of staff as well as a civil servant in the International Legal Section of the Australian Cabinet participating in international forums including the Copenhagen World Summit for Social Development and the Beijing UN Platform for Action on Discrimination Against Women. She has consulted for the OECD and served as Co-Chair of the OECD’s Charting Illicit Trade Taskforce on Environmentally Sensitive Goods and Wildlife. Jeannie is CEO of JCIC International, a UK based strategic advocacy consultancy founded in 2011 focused on strategic advocacy. Jeannie has consulted for PMI on various global initiatives and formerly headed BAT’s International Political and Regulatory Affairs area. Jeannie took an 18-month break from consulting in January 2020 to work as Vice President, International at Juul Labs. Jeannie is an active commentator on tobacco harm reduction, public administration and governance reform.

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Mr. Ao, Weinuo is the Secretary-General of the Electronic Cigarette Professional Committee of the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce (ECCC), China’s only vaping industry association, and one of the main founders of ECCC.

During his eight years in office, he has been committed to being the coordinator of the global vaping industry, promoting the regulation, leading the formulation of the industry standards, and sparing no efforts to protecting minors and guiding the standardized development of the vaping industry.

Mr. Ao is one of the founders of the Global Vape Alliance and has been invited on behalf of China’s vaping industry to speak at various international vaping forums.