Former House Speaker John Boehner was never shy about lighting up a cigarette during his years in Congress, and now he’s joining the board of tobacco giant Reynolds American, the company announced Thursday.
Boehner, reportedly such a fan of Camel Ultra Lights that his successor Paul Ryan, R-Wis., had to fumigate the speaker’s office before moving in, resigned in October after serving in Congress for 25 years and as speaker for four.
Reynolds American Inc., based in Winston-Salem, N.C., owns R.J. Reynolds, the second-largest U.S. tobacco company whose brands include Newport and Camel.
Boehner, R-Ohio, will serve on the board’s corporate governance, nominating and sustainability committee, the company said.
“RAI is striving to transform the tobacco industry through innovative strategies that include speeding the decline in tobacco use among young people and reducing the harm caused by smoking,” a spokesman for Boehner said. “These are objectives Speaker Boehner supports and looks forward to helping RAI advance through his service on the board.”
Reynolds also named Jean-Marc Levy, executive-in-residence at the IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, to the board.
“We welcome their fresh perspectives on our businesses and the rapidly evolving environments in which the RAI companies compete,” said Thomas Wajnert, chairman of Reynolds American’s board of directors.
(c) 2016, The Washington Post ยท Catherine Ho
