Melissa is SUSE’s first female CEO and has driven transformational change for the company since her appointment in August of 2019. In addition to becoming the first woman in the 21st century to take SUSE, a multibillion-euro company public on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, representing the largest software IPO in Europe in 2021, Melissa has focused on enhancing SUSE’s inclusive culture. As a passionate supporter of D&I, Melissa created two employee resource groups, the Women in Technology Network and Pride @ SUSE, to foster inclusion at the company. She has also made a concerted effort to increase female representation in leadership positions in addition to focusing on developing and nurturing the growth of SUSE’s employees. Beyond her work as CEO, Melissa is the co-founder of inner wings, a charity she created to help girls aged 6-12 build confidence, to create a world with more determined women, and more gender balanced leadership. She is also the author of three children’s books.