Melissa Hansen’s entire career has been spent in that “space between” business and technology, acting as an interpreter and translator between the two disciplines.
Melissa started her journey in business operations at Nortel during high school vocational training and eventually moved toward the IT side, where she has been ever since. She is currently the Client Integration Director and Solution Architect at Trust Your Supplier, a blockchain-based platform that helps to simplify and accelerate supplier onboarding, validation, and lifecycle information management for businesses. She started with the company on the client integration team and has since floated between managing clients, developing the TYS platform, and fulfilling executive tasks – helping bridge the divide between business and technology.
Melissa credits the success of her career to finding ways to utilize her talents to best help whatever team she finds herself on. And although she has not experienced the glass ceiling in tech personally, she acknowledges its existence. She knows that she is lucky to have always worked with incredibly supportive male and female leaders throughout her career and that this is not the case for everyone.
When asked about the future of women in the tech industry, Melissa has high hopes. She sees the role of women in the tech industry evolving in the next 5-10 years because she thinks that by encouraging young girls to pursue STEM programs, we can help build an even better, more inclusive workplace in the future. “Women bring so much value to the table in the tech industry,” said Melissa, “including a collaborative leadership mindset that implements respected ideas from all levels of an organization across diverse teams.”
Melissa Hansen serves as an inspiration to all women in the tech industry. Her dedication to her craft, hard work, and ability to thrive in a male-dominated industry is a testament to the perseverance and talent of women everywhere. As we continue celebrating Women’s History Month, let us remember the importance of recognizing the achievements of women like Melissa, who pave the way for the next generation of female tech leaders.