[By 2Firsts] On July 13, 2025, 2Firsts successfully held its first Global NGP Compliance Officer Certification Training (U.S. Edition) in Shenzhen. Nearly 50 professionals from various sectors attended, including representatives from international tobacco companies, domestic manufacturing enterprises, research institutions, and investment organizations. Participants included business owners, compliance directors, market heads, procurement managers, and research leaders, covering key positions across the entire industry value chain. This turnout highlights the industry’s urgent demand for high-level compliance talent.
Compliance: A Core Challenge in Global NGP Industry Development
As global regulations tighten, compliance has become one of the most critical issues for the next-generation tobacco industry. Without compliance, there is no market entry; without professional talent, there is no sustainable global expansion.
Today, truly qualified compliance talent — those who deeply understand global regulatory systems and can navigate complex market-specific requirements — is extremely scarce. Compliance is not only a “passport” for enterprises to enter international markets but also a vital “moat” for long-term competitiveness.
For professionals aiming for long-term careers in the NGP industry, compliance is not just an essential skill but also a golden key to unlocking new career advancement opportunities. Sales professionals with compliance knowledge can win market trust and drive business growth more effectively; R&D teams who understand compliance can significantly improve the precision and foresight of their strategies; investors familiar with compliance frameworks can more accurately assess the regulatory risks and future value of their investment targets.
2Firsts launched the Global NGP Compliance Certification Training precisely to address this industry pain point, fill the global compliance talent gap, and cultivate more internationally minded and practice-ready compliance professionals.
Comprehensive Curriculum Covering Key U.S. Compliance Topics
This one-day intensive training covered six essential modules, including the PMTA process, the U.S. regulatory system (FDA/CTP/Tobacco Control Act), state-level compliance requirements, STN registration practices, and compliance-oriented product strategy design. The program also incorporated in-depth case studies (such as IQOS, VUSE, ZYN), enabling participants to quickly build a complete and systematic compliance knowledge framework.
Through immersive learning, participants fully mastered the regulatory and operational essentials required to conduct NGP business in one of the world’s most strictly regulated markets — truly achieving “understand, apply, and practice.”
The training was delivered by Echo Guo, Co-founder and COO of 2Firsts, and Kurt Yang, 2Firsts’ U.S. compliance expert. Both instructors have over a decade of industry experience and hands-on expertise in PMTA applications.
Positive Feedback Highlights Urgent Talent Needs
A compliance director from a leading manufacturing company commented:
“Although I have previously come across related knowledge and information, today’s opportunity to systematically learn the entire framework in one go was extremely valuable. The sharing of non-public insights and the latest market trends was especially helpful for our future product planning and market strategies.”
Industry-First Certification Boosts Professional Development
At the end of the program, participants took an on-site closed-book examination. Those who passed received the Global NGP Compliance Certification issued by 2Firsts — the first professional compliance certification specifically dedicated to the NGP field.
Expanding the Compliance Ecosystem to More Global Markets
In 2024, to further promote global compliance development in the next-generation tobacco industry, 2Firsts launched 2Firsts Compliance Solutions, a compliance platform model that brings together Chinese and international compliance experts, laboratories, and research resources. This initiative provides tailored compliance solutions for Chinese supply chain enterprises and global brands.
Leveraging 2Firsts’ strong integration of compliance resources, 2Firsts Compliance Solutions delivers more targeted compliance strategies for clients while significantly reducing the difficulty and cost of implementation.
This training not only reflects 2Firsts’ deep expertise and long-term commitment to compliance but also marks a new milestone for the global NGP industry’s talent ecosystem. Moving forward, 2Firsts will continue to introduce compliance training programs for additional key markets, including the EU, Middle East, and Southeast Asia, helping global enterprises build compliance capabilities and promoting healthy, sustainable industry growth.
2Firsts warmly invites partners across the global value chain, industry associations, research institutions, and professional talents to join us in creating an international, systematic, and sustainable compliance talent ecosystem — and to seize new opportunities in global markets together.
For inquiries about 2Firsts compliance services and training, please contact: info@2firsts.com.
We welcome news tips, article submissions, interview requests, or comments on this piece.
Please contact us at info@2firsts.com, or reach out to Alan Zhao, CEO of 2Firsts, on LinkedIn
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