What Happened?

About the Company

Altria, a Fortune 200 company, owns some of the most enduring names in American business like Philip Morris USA, manufacturer of Marlboro cigarettes; U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, manufacturer of Copenhagen & Skoal; John Middleton, manufacturer of Black & Mild cigars; Nat Sherman, a super-premium cigarette and cigar business; Nu Mark, which makes innovative tobacco products; and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, which makes Chateau Ste. Michelle. Altria`s companies are tobacco industry leaders and have been for thirty years. We`ve shown our leadership in how we approach topics facing our industry. For example, we were the only major tobacco companies to support Food & Drug Administration regulation of tobacco products. We know our products aren`t for everyone, so our companies take steps designed to limit the reach of their brands and marketing materials to unintended audiences. As consumer preferences and society`s views toward tobacco change, our companies are working to provide a wider variety of tobacco products for adults. There`s growing evidence that suggests some tobacco products are less harmful than others. So today, we`re working to develop and market tobacco products that could be less harmful for adult tobacco consumers and talking with the FDA about them. Our employees are the reason why we continue to succeed and provide strong shareholder returns. That`s why we invest in programs that build their capabilities and grow leadership skills. We also support our employees as they contribute their time and talents to improve the communities where they live and work. We`ve invested in our communities for more than 50 years. We invest in areas that drive our business forward and address societal expectations: reducing underage tobacco use; developing a strong, diverse workforce; promoting the sustainability of our natural resources; and strengthening our communities economically and culturally.

About the Person

John R. Nelson serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Altria Group. His role is to lead the Research, Development & Engineering department in the creation of products and technologies for Altria’s tobacco operating companies in order to help them responsibly meet their business goals. He has held this position since 2008.   Previously, he served as President of Operations & Technology for Philip Morris USA for a six-year period. In this position, he led a variety of groups including: Strategic Product Planning; Manufacturing; Product Development; Product Assessment; Research, Development & Engineering; Research & Technology; Quality; and Commercialization & Engineering.   Earlier in his career, he served as President of PM USA in New York and President of Philip Morris International in Lausanne, Switzerland. He has also held leadership positions in Manufacturing, Research & Development, Planning and Corporate Affairs.   Before joining PM USA in 1982 as a Research Analyst, he was Associate Study Director of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago and a Research Associate for the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council.   He currently serves on the boards of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business Foundation, the Virginia Historical Society, the Virginia Institute for Marine Sciences at the College of William and Mary and the Virginia Business Council​.