School-to-Community: Mr. Thomas Sheridan of Visa, Inc.

Some of the most important qualities needed to be successful in the business industry are interpersonal skills, the critical ability to build and maintain positive relationships, and a relentless work ethic. For Mr. Thomas Sheridan, Senior Account Executive for Visa Inc., these qualities have brought great success and continue to help him advance through the industry.

“The second you stop learning, I believe you forfeit your ability to continue advancing in life,” Mr. Sheridan said. Starting off as a temporary employee at City Bank, Mr. Sheridan said he has held a position at almost every level of the business world. From being a sales support person for Visa to running a Wachovia bank in North Carolina, he said he “has never lost sight of the important, intangible qualities that drive a business to success.”

Freshly graduated from college in 1990 and eager to take on the business world, Mr. Sheridan, whose children attend SWR schools, learned the most efficient way to advance in the industry was persistence and personability.

“A piece of advice for somebody looking to find similar success in the industry would be to never forget the value of keeping positive business connections,” he said.