From Sales Intern to Leader: Finding Happiness and Opportunity Over Three Decades at a Fortune 500

For nearly 30 years, Quan Tiet Schneider has built a career defined by growth, resilience, and deep-rooted purpose at Altria. What began as a summer internship at Philip Morris USA in 1997—shortly after graduating from the University of Virginia—evolved into a dynamic journey spanning eight roles across four cities, ultimately leading her to her current position as Senior Market Manager.

Watching the company support families like hers—from outside of the country—has made her decision to stick with it for so long not just professional, but also deeply meaningful.

“We persevere, we are resilient as a company, and that makes me proud to be at Altria,” she tells Fairygodboss.

Here, Schneider reflects on what first drew her to Altria, how the company has shaped her career, and why its ability to adapt and endure continues to inspire her nearly three decades later.

As you think back over your career, is there a moment that you're particularly proud of?

There are two moments. The first one is being a people leader and having a team. One of my biggest sources of happiness is when I see folks on my team really succeed. They either are winning at something that was a challenge or they even get promoted, and I've helped them along the way. Being a little part of that is very satisfying.

The second one is being able to bring our leaders in to have a truly honest conversation about how we as a company are handling tough issues. The way our culture is at Altria brings me so much pride. To be able to help our company have meaningful conversations about any number of topics is rewarding.

So you've had a long career here at Altria. Tell me about your career path. Anything unexpected?

If I could tell my college self the twists and turns of my career, I probably wouldn't believe it. I started out in sales, and it allowed me to live in different areas in Virginia. Then, I got to move down to Florida; I never thought I would live there.

What has been really rewarding about being in sales is that I've learned so much, like being able to train, support, develop and lead my team. That led me into a role in our sales training department in 2015 and brought me back to Virginia. It was a full-circle moment. I've had other experiences at headquarters which have translated into leadership roles in my community.

Why did you love the training role?

Because I got to train all our new hires that came into sales who are now leaders within our company. I had creative rights to shape the training program which then eventually led me into other roles here at headquarters. Having these opportunities at Altria, which I wouldn't have guessed when I first joined, has been special. The doors that open for you at Altria are just incredible.

What makes you excited about the future here at Altria?

I am excited about our new leadership and innovative products. Over the past 28 years, we've acquired companies and a variety of quality products. Being in sales, I'm out there with the business owners, with the consumers, engaging with them, learning about what they're looking forward to, what they want. And we're able to bring that back to the teams at headquarters.

So, what excites me is taking that and being able to support and sell our products and create excitement at retail. And it's not just our core products—it's all the unknown—the items in the innovative space that we're going to be able to sell.

Our leadership is always thinking forward, and I truly appreciate that.

Can you tell me some misconceptions people might have about a career in sales?

There likely is a misconception that you need to have a certain degree to be able to be in sales. I was a sociology major. I remember when I was in college and walking by the Philip Morris USA booth, and I started talking to the recruiters. If you think about it, sociology is about organizations, people, and how they interact.

With my sociology background, I knew how to connect with people, build relationships, and understand their why. And that's absolutely what we need in sales.

At Altria, we can take our experiences and help cultivate them into being the best salesperson and leader.