R William Murray

Robert William Murray (always known as R William Murray or Bill Murray), along with Hamish Maxwell and Geoffrey C. Bible, was a member of a triumvirate who took over the Philip Morris Companies in the mid-1980s. This group held control over the global Philip Morris conglomerate (with Kraft, General Foods, etc. in addition to cigarettes) until the 2010s. The three were all from outside America, and they took the lead position in the global tobacco industry for three decades, leaving the American executives in charge of PM USA.

In 1987, it was announced that Murray, the president and chief executive officer of the Philip Morris International unit would become vice chairman of the parent company.

In 1994, the board voted to move Murray from corporate vice chairman to chairman.