Melissa Bailey

I come from a family where a strong work ethic is important; but so is having a good work/life balance. As a first generation American citizen, I embraced that philosophy while pursuing my professional goals and throughout college while earning multiple undergraduate and graduate degrees. The next step was to get to a position of always wanting to learn, embracing it and surrounding myself with people that support that same goal. You must be willing to take risks. I started in the industrial sector and worked in software distribution, mergers and acquisitions, banking, the toy industry, and finally at Foundever.

I was very fortunate early on to establish a very close relationship with a strong business leader; who eventually became my mentor in my business and personal life for over 20 years. I credit my mentor’s advice as a key reason for staying in a role, or changing career paths. My mentor challenged me to expand my skills into different disciplines – helping me understand the value of work/life balance.

My success comes from a collective and joint plan with my husband of 38 years. We have raised four daughters together; four daughters who understand the value of work/life balance and have chosen to make our hometown, their hometown. We made the choice because I loved what I did, and my husband loved being at home with our daughters. We may have chosen a different, less traditional path, but it was the right path for us.

I have been fortunate in my 25+ years with Foundever to oversee a wide range of departments; including Operations, Real Estate and Market Expansions, General Management, as well as working with global account teams and supporting client initiatives. Each role has taught me valuable knowledge – and in turn I know I have brought value to the role. Today, as the Senior Vice President of Global Account Management, I feel fortunate to be in a position to lead a team and share these lessons.

In honor of International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the bold and powerful women of Foundever by sharing their stories – about balance, about success, about gender equality, about change, about what it feels like to be a woman today.