Insights from a Sales Team Leader at Purina

Read on to learn about Jill’s wide spanning career in sales with us. With 20+ years of service under her belt, we’re excited to see how she helps us further our mission of pet care nutrition and innovation.

Our culture is rooted in appreciation and recognition, and we deeply value and celebrate the achievements of our dedicated sales professionals. Collaboration is the cornerstone of our achievements, as we unite to deliver high-quality products that enhance the lives of pets and their families.

Tell us about your career journey and where you started at Nestlé Purina?
I began my career in 2000 as a Business Analyst in the Charlotte, NC market. After two years, I was promoted to Account Manager and three years later, I received a promotion to Category Development Manager for the broader Delhaize business. I was looking to learn more about a different customer base and joined the Family Dollar team as Account Manager, and eventually, a Team Lead. I have had the opportunity to manage different customer accounts over the years across the Value Discount, Drug, Grocery, Closeout, and Convenience channels. Today, I am the Sales Team Leader for Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, CVS, Ingles, Marc Glassman, Pigg Alabama, and our company’s Closeout business.  I’ve been fortunate that my entire career has been based in my hometown market of Charlotte, NC.

What made you decide to join Purina? 
I knew I wanted to use the skillset I gained in college centered around interpersonal and organizational communication skills and discovered a career in sales may be of interest.  While I interviewed with several consumer product good companies, it was the people representing Purina that drew me to the company.  They were friendly, professional, relatable, and reflected a positive company culture.

What unique skills make someone successful in your position?
One of the most important skills required for success in the Sales Team Leader role is to be a true leader. You must balance managing the business with leading people, with the number one priority always being our team members. It’s important to foster a culture of transparent and open communication that works both ways while setting the bar high for performance and expectations—and even further, then demonstrating that high performance as a leader. When you invest in your people every day, they will remain loyal and go the extra mile to drive results. 

What is your favorite project that you’ve worked on?
With a career spanning 20+ years, it’s tough to choose just one project as my favorite. However, my time spent serving as the Co-Chair of the College Outreach Committee for the Carolinas Region of the Network of Executive Women (now NextUp) was a highlight of my career. During that time, I had the opportunity to build a relationship with the Career Services department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I co-led the development and execution of two Retail Adventure Days with local retail partners and presented to the Intro to Marketing class at UNC Charlotte.

What advice would you give someone considering applying for a role at Purina?
If someone is applying for a role at Purina straight out of college, I would advise them to be open minded when it comes to availability of roles in which you have interest.  Focus on getting your foot in the door, soaking up as much knowledge as you can and contributing value to the organization from the start.
For those already working in sales for the CPG industry and interested in applying for a role at Purina, I would share that our special culture is the number one reason why they should want to come work with us. If the candidate thrives in a team environment, values, and engages in open communication, goes above and beyond every day, and has strategic vision regarding what is best for the company, then Purina is the right fit for them.

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