The Livery Newsletter and Gazette Issue 30 Spring 2019 | Page 23

geography (away from the traditional Trans-Atlantic
nexus). At the same time, the complicated history
of the industry makes the policy and public affairs
environments challenging. This makes that shift
more complicated as commercial realities require a
period of phase-in between traditional combustibles
and novel reduced risk products.
It is in that spirit that TMA’s
Board of Directors, composed
of representatives from multi-
national and independent
companies both in tobacco
and support services, made the
decision to acquire additional assets to fit TMA for
purpose in this more challenging new world. This
past January, TMA closed on its acquisition of a
number of assets including Tobacco Reporter and
Vapor Voice magazines and the GTNF Conference.
It is hard to understate the rarity of information
sources and forums where all stakeholders can
consume the information and ideas necessary
to equip them to fully participate in the policy
and ethical debates. Assuming stewardship over
trade magazines and the marquee global nicotine
conference is a significant responsibility.
TMA intends to offer its current suite of unbiased
information and membership services to industry
and stakeholders through our Annual Meeting
and Conference and our publications and website,
www.tma.org, where economic, regulatory,
trademark, market intel, legal and news data and
analysis is the primary focus. In recognition of our
stewardship responsibilities, TMA established a
new organization: The GTNF Trust which will be
the home of Tobacco Reporter and Vapor Voice
magazines and the GTNF Conference.
The GTNF Trust will operate under the leadership
of your friend and Livery colleague Elise Rasmussen
who serves as its Executive Director. The Trust
will be independent and be responsible for
the editorial content of the magazines and the
administration of the GTNF Conference to ensure
its independence and continued acceptance to all
stakeholders within the wider nicotine community.
Organizing our purchase in this way is not the
easiest organizationally; however, principals of good
stewardship and our own sense of responsibility
for ensuring all stakeholders may partake in what
The GTNF Trust offers make it the correct way
forward. As Mike Ligon, TMA’s Chairman and
Vice
President
at Universal catered
Corporation
said
in our
The lunch
was deliciously
by Mark
Grove
purchase
announcement,
we, “…will
a tobacco
and his team
at Cook & Butler
and we create
cracked
and
nicotine
content
experience
for
industry
and all
along at a goodly pace. Our guests were admirably
stakeholders
has more Fran
depth
and coverage
than
introduced by that
Liveryman
Morrison
and our
anywhere
else.” Tim Wonnacott gave a generous and
Principal Guest,
very
to which
I responded
initially
All of humorous
us at TMA reply
are eager
to combine
TMA’s
by
drenching
Tim in a glass
of water
- he was
platform
with poor
the tremendous
content
of the
very
kind about
it (sorry Tim!).
I was Conferences
very pleased
magazines
and successes
of the GTNF
to
show
off
the
newly
found
Livery
Grant
Arms
under The GTNF Trust and your colleague of Elise.
and
Letters
Patent TMA
which and
have
been
missing
Doing
so enables
The
GTNF
Trust for
to many
years
-
our
Clerk
tenaciously
sought
them
out,
continue their missions of providing unbiased and
the
Immediate and
Past
Master, along
Chris with
Allen,
and his
data, new
information
analysis
forums
IPM,
Mark the
Gower-Smith
a beautiful
that bring
stakeholders have
and funded
ideas together
to re-
presentation
and
they
are
now
resplendent
in
frames
address pressing policy, ethical and regulatory issues
carved
with tobacco
(or are
close
to); Sandra
stakeholders
and civil leaves
society
grappling
with, also
to
located
a
huge
banner
not
seen
since
1985
and
get nicotine right for generations to come. This Angus
is
Menzies,
Clerk
to the Master
Mariners
exciting and
important
work for
us all. and never shy
of a challenge saw to it that it was displayed on the
Your
Livery Company is also facing a rapidly
Quarterdeck.
changing society and, having attended some of
Whilst
all this was
going guest,
on, apparently
biblical- by
your functions
as Elise’s
I am heartened
style
downpours
were
being
had
all
over
London
the dedication to service and the Company
I find
- amongst
oblivious
to
all
that
drama
we
ended
our
lunch
your leadership and members. It is striking
and
trooped
back each
to the
where Coffee,
that, at the heart
of quarterdeck
our organizations,
is
Cigars,
and
Cognac
awaited
us
(I
did
mention
that
work being done to ensure the services
and duties
our
Livery enjoyed
dining on and
the sufficient
High C’s..)
we undertake
are impactful
for and
the
which
seemed
to
hit
the
mark
–
Liveryman
Jemma and
complex realities of our society. All of us at TMA
Freeman
had
kindly
the torpedo
cigars the
The GTNF
Trust
are provided
looking forward
to seeing
and
had that
them
in souvenir
our
good had
work
you placed
do flourish
in the tubes
years with
to come.
Crest emblazoned on it. Several of us also sported
a limited edition Livery Smoking hat - originally
About the Author:
conceived as a sort of shooting hat, it serves its
Christopher “Chris” Greer
purpose so well as a “team” hat, that of the twenty
is President & CEO of TMA
ordered, but one remained by the close of the day!
and The GTNF Trust. Chris
Thank you to the Master Mariners for allowing us the
assumed the role of TMA
use of the venue, to Tim for being a perfect Principal
President in March 2017
Guest, and for everyone attending and giving my
having previously served as
year such a special start.
Director of Corporate Affairs
and Communications for JTI in the U.S., Caribbean
and Central American Markets. He received his
Master
university degree from Gettysburg College The
in Political
Science and began working in telecommunications
compliance and agency relations at Verizon Wireless
before taking up regulatory and policy roles in tobacco
starting in 2010. Chris currently lives in Hoboken, NJ
with his wife, son and dog.
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