People & Culture
Michael Thorne-Begland
Vice President
Talent & Culture, Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer
"To achieve our 10-year Vision to responsibly lead the transition of adult smokers to a non-combustible future, we need to inspire all employees to perform their best, which means investing in them. With our talent and culture initiative, we’re trying to enable the right environment, defining the culture and behaviors we want, so that all employees can reach their maximum potential. We know employees want to see more than a commitment; they want to see action. So we are setting more near-term objectives and holding everyone accountable. This is essential to our business success, it’s essential to the happiness of our employees."
As our business continues to change, our culture and talent strategies must also continue to evolve. Our Path Forward focuses heavily on investing in our employees, from the manufacturing floor to improving diversity at all levels. Our talent and culture initiatives that align with the 10-year Vision, Our Cultural Aspiration, and the Inclusion & Diversity Aiming Points, along with proven talent strategies and our ongoing commitment to learning and growth, will increase employee engagement and allow us to tackle our challenges and continue to deliver superior results into the future.
Our Focus
Promoting a Vibrant, Inclusive Workplace
We're focused on building a more diverse and inclusive culture. Although we've set goals and made some progress, more still needs to be done. We have an opportunity to lead and make significant change.
Attracting, Developing & Retaining Talent
In 2019, our companies invested $10.3 million in training and development programs.
Rewarding & Recognizing Employees
Altria and its companies offer some of the most comprehensive and competitive benefits within the Fortune 500.*
Creating a Safe Workplace
Our safety goal is simple – we want all employees to have an injury-free career. We're committed to occupational injury and illness prevention and to full compliance with laws and regulations relating to employee safety and health.
Employee Resource Groups
Our Employee Resource Groups bring together groups of employees with shared characteristics or life experiences to help the company benefit from our diversity and become more inclusive.
Compliance & Integrity
Our success depends on our people and how we conduct business. We pursue our business objectives with integrity and in full compliance with all applicable laws.
Employee Involvement
Our employees' community action platform is called "act" – Altria Contributing Together. Employees take pride in taking action to help our communities thrive. They get involved in communities – both through volunteering and workplace giving – strengthens our connection to community, helps us learn to lead more inclusively, and deepens connections to our work.
