Global Institute for Novel Nicotine (GINN)
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Global Institute for Novel Nicotine (GINN), Tobacco Tactics, updated 26 February 2026, accessed 26 February 2026.
The Global Institute for Novel Nicotine (GINN) states that it is “a membership-based association dedicated to advancing collaborative standards, innovation, research, and advocacy in the field of alternative nicotine products.”123
Background
GINN launched in March 2024. Its original website (the-ginn.com) stated that it was “dedicated to positioning itself as the industry’s primary advocate for non-vaping reduced-risk products”3 and “communicating the public health benefits of switching from combustible tobacco to RRPs”.4
Its current website, ginn.global, states:1
“We advocate for and champion pouches, heated tobacco, and other emerging reduced-risk products (RRPs) on behalf of our members”
The GINN LinkedIn profile states that it supports the development of RRPs in order “to create a safer future for consumers worldwide.”2 It also states that it collaborates with “industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers to address regulatory challenges, promote harm reduction, and ensure responsible product development” and that its “commitment to collaboration and scientific integrity positions us as a trusted voice in the evolving landscape of tobacco harm reduction and nicotine innovation.”2
GINN was registered with UK Companies House in June 2024 as Global Int for Novel Nicotine, a Limited Liability Partnership.5In April 2025, GINN was added to the EU Transparency Register.67
Relationship to the Tobacco Industry
The director for GINN is a former employee of Philip Morris International (see below).
The GINN website states that “Admittance to membership is not permitted to any entity owned by multinational or transnational tobacco companies”.31 GINN has issued other statements with different wording. An e-mail sent to a UK academic in October 2024 stated that:
“GINN’s membership excludes any involvement from Big Tobacco, in line with FCTC 5.3, ensuring that our efforts are fully aligned with public health principles” 8[emphasis in original]
In August 2024, Better Retailing reported GINN as saying that “it does not offer membership to or take funding from tobacco companies”,9
However, there are multiple connections between GINN and transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) via member companies and individuals.
People
Global Int for Novel Nicotine LLP originally had two consultants as designated members, Shem Baldeosingh and David Roach.
Shem Baldeosingh
Director General of GINN since March 2024.1011 He is described on the website as ‘Chief Advocate’ of GINN,12 and on the EU Transparency register as the person responsible for EU relations.67 He had previously been employed as a public affairs manager for Philip Morris International (PMI) until September 2022,11 the same month he set up PR company Nexum Consulting.13 In June 2025, Nexum Consulting was appointed as a designated member for GINN.5 Baldeosingh’s profile on the GINN website does not refer to PMI or Nexum, or detail his other affiliations:10
- Nexum Consulting also operates NordicPouch New Zealand, an online nicotine pouch store.14
- Baldeosingh is director of a company called SmokeFree Innovation, registered in New Zealand in 2025.111516 The company LinkedIn profile states that it operates across the Asia Pacific region.1718
- New Zealand company records indicate that Baldeosingh is also director of SmokefreeRX,161920 a telehealth company based in Sydney, Australia, where it was registered in 2024.192021
- From 2019 to 2020, Baldeosingh worked as Government Affairs Consultant for Mission Limited,11 New Zealand distributor for Chinese e-cigarette brand RELX.2223
David Roach
Roach previous consulted for nicotine company ANDS,24 and, as reported by The Guardian newspaper, is linked to the anti-WHO campaign ‘Action on World Health’, launched by UK politician Nigel Farage in May 2024.25 Roach left GINN on 29 Nov 2024.5 Roach is no longer listed as a designated member of GINN. He remains designated member for the LLP behind Action on World Health.26
Current members of the GINN leadership team are listed on the GINN website. See Relevant Links below.
A disclosure policy states that, apart from the Director, all member of the leadership team are volunteers and “no member of the GINN leadership team, including Steering Committee members, the Science and Standards Committee and associated Working Group Chairs, receives a salary from the organization.”27 It also states that the leadership is committed to “[d]isclosing relevant external business interests to prevent conflicts”.27
The sections below on GINN Focal Points and the Science and Standards Committee detail further connections to tobacco companies and industry activities.
Member Companies
As of November 2024, GINN listed its members on its website. These included, among others, nicotine manufacturers and distributors of nicotine products (see Image 1 below).28
Image 1: Global Institute for Novel Nicotine Membership list, the-ginn.com website, screenshot captured 1 November 202428
Further information about the work of some of these companies was published on the GINN website:2930
For example, Inter Scientific, which provides services relating to the regulation of nicotine and heated tobacco products (HTPs),31 was profiled,30 and represented GINN in an interview with the BBC soon after joining.3233
However the website did not appear to indicate that another member company Labstat has worked with PMI,34 and Swedish Match (now also owned by PMI).35
Another member company ACCORTO,36 has worked on US Pre-Market Tobacco Product Applications (PMTAs) for HTPs, although it does not specify its clients, or the products, on its website.37
Science and Standards Committee members
In 2024, GINN’s website listed members of its Science and Standards Committee, and its five working groups:38
- Product Composition and Design Standards
- Consumer Behavior and Youth Access Prevention
- Toxicity and Health
- Regulatory Compliance and Standards
- Marketing and Communications
The list of committee members included ex-employees of TTCs and related companies:
- Marina Murphy – has worked for BAT & JUUL Labs.39
- Waqas Khan – has worked for BAT & JUUL Labs.40
- Markus Lindblad – has worked for BAT.41
Others have received tobacco industry funding, or published research papers with tobacco companies:
- Riccardo Polosa – has received from the PMI-financed Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW, now Global Action to End Smoking).
- Massimo Caruso received FSFW funding for research published in 2022.42
- Bonnie Coffa published research with PMI/Swedish Match (Labstat and Chemular, 2024),35 and Altria/JUUL (ToxPham, 2016).43
As of 2025, GINN did not list all its working groups, and the only member of the Science and Standards committee named on the GINN website is the Chair, Dr. Nveed Chaudhary.10
Chaudhary’s profile on the GINN website states that he previously held roles at PMI, British American Tobacco (BAT), and Imperial Brands, and that he runs NexCentra Consulting which works on “advancing credible, science-based harm reduction worldwide.”1044
Focal Points
As of 2025, ‘Focal points’ listed on the GINN website included:45
- Joel Rubenstein, GINN Focal Point. According to his LinkedIn profile, Rubenstein, has held Global Vice President roles at Aspeya Healthcare since April 2023, currently as Category Head, Smoking Cessation.4647 Aspeya is wholly owned by PMI, and Fertin Pharma is a subsidiary.4849 (PMI established Vectura Fertin Pharma in 2022, after its acquisition of pharmaceutical company Vectura. See Tobacco Company Investments in Pharmaceutical & NRT Products for more information.) Previously Rubenstein was President of Niconovum, which is wholly owned by Reynolds/BAT.46
- Tautvydas Kviliūnas, Focal Point, GINN Lithuania, CEO of Global Snus, a ‘white label’ supplier of nicotine pouches.
For details of other focal points see the GINN website.
Activities
Lobbying on UK Tobacco and Vapes bill
In August 2024, a Better Retailing article stated that GINN “urged the Government not to press ahead with flavour, packaging and display bans on vapes, nicotine pouches and heat-not-burn products”.9 Quoting Baldeosingh, that article went on to say:
“The GINN representatives explained that many of the most experienced politicians in vaping and nicotine had lost their seats at the General Election, potentially creating an opportunity for a much wider consultation ahead of a new tobacco and vapes bill being brought forward by the new government.”9
In January 2025, GINN submitted a response to a consultation on the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill.50 GINN argued that nicotine pouches, along with lozenges and gums, “should not be regulated in the same manner as combustible smoking products and nicotine vaping products”, and referred to an opportunity for “positive economic growth through product advancement”.50
Former MEP lobbying with GINN in EU
Johan Nissinen, a former Swedish Member of the European Parliament (MEP), became a member of GINN in November 2025.51 He is associated with lobbying by GINN in relation to the regulation of nicotine products in the EU.5253 In a LinkedIn post, GINN stated that Nissinen “helped open the right doors at the right time”.53 The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) gave Nissinen an award, citing his “persistent advocacy for tobacco harm reduction”.54
Events
Events attended by representatives of GINN include:
- New Approaches Summit, New York, September 2024 – Baldeosingh (representing Nexum Consulting) spoke at this event, at the Harvard Club.55 A New Approaches Linkedin post described him as “a global leader in public affairs strategies, having occupied leadership roles in the UK, as well as serving as a strategic partner to leadership in the UK, Trinidad and Tobago, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and Australia”, and that he was “uniquely equipped to speak on the impacts of the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (#FCTC) in the Caribbean”.55
- This post did not mention his previous roles at PMI. Baldeosingh also attended the summit in 2023.56
- World Vape Show, Dubai, June 2025 – several GINN members were listed on the programme in a panel discussion called ‘Next level of harm reduction’, with Baldeosingh listed as representing GINN.57 While his website bio stated that he had previously work with a ‘large multinational company’, it did not mention PMI.57
- InterTabac, Dortmund, September 2025 – InterTabac describes itself as the “leading trade fair for tobacco products and smoking accessories”.58 The InterTabac website stated that GINN would be involved in two panels, one on “Innovating the Oral Nicotine Segment: Product Development & Consumer Trends” to be moderated by Chaudhary and another on “Navigating TPD3, Tobacco Excise Directive, and WHO FCTC COP11”. 5960
Relevant Link
Global Institute for Novel Nicotine website
Tobacco Tactics Resources
Tobacco Company Investments in Pharmaceutical & NRT Products
Tobacco Industry Interference with Endgame Policies