October Member Spotlight: Melissa Green
Melissa Green, Senior Director - Head of Financial Reporting for Liberty Mutual Insurance
What brought you to the energy field?
Growing up in a small city on the east coast of Canada, natural resources and, in particular, the oil sands in Alberta and a refinery in New Brunswick was my training ground as an accountant; and I loved it. It was complicated, bursting with opportunity, and attracted the best-of-the-best. Needless to say, the high intensity, the constant learning, and the high-profile companies were addictive to someone so early in their career. I was absolutely hooked.
Since then, the energy sector has always managed to be entangled in my career, whether through auditing, accounting, finance, or investing. It is an industry that is constantly evolving, which lends itself to life-long learning, a philosophy I subscribe to.
What has been your proudest moment or greatest achievement in your career in energy, to date?
In my first year working at Liberty Mutual, I received the President’s Award in their investments business unit. The award was received for leading the organization through a transformation of their natural resources accounting and reporting. The project itself was so rewarding as I was able to lay the groundwork to help the organization build stronger strategic partnerships with the operators of our assets. It is a great feeling when you enjoy what you are doing and manage to get recognized for your accomplishments at the highest level of the organization. In my experience, it can be challenging to align my interests with the organization’s goals, but at this moment, the stars aligned.
To this day, reflecting on this moment still brings a smile to my face.
How did you find out about WEN, and why did you join? What are you hoping to gain from your membership? What prompted you to renew?
I found WEN in a moment of crisis. I had this feeling that my career had stalled, and I felt lost. My executive coach at the time asked me to do some self-reflecting to figure out why I do what I do. It was hard to peel back that onion, but I found my whole career was footnoted by my desire to empower and inspire women. Every day, whether I realized or not, my purpose was filled with teaching my girls at home or mentoring women at work. I continue to channel my vision, insight, intellect, and energy into helping women stand up for themselves and take control of their lives personally and professionally.
Reaching out to my network, founded in this new purpose, I found WEN. The fit was perfect. It was a group filled with like-minded women supporting each other. We all knew what it was like to be the only woman at the table, and we all wanted to change it. I have been an active member ever since.
What advice has resonated with you for your career/do you have any advice for others?
There have been a few moments in my life where I found myself frustrated with my career because of my differences. My differences ranged from being a caretaker to a working mom to a working student to simply an emotional woman. As a result, I would sometimes stew in the frustration of my career path, feeling harder than my male counterparts. Then, about ten years ago, I had a mentor tell me, “Embrace your Otherness. There is power in being different.” The advice changed me. It helped me connect with my co-workers in a way that was so authentic, and I learned that my otherness brought new perspectives and ideas to the complex challenges facing organizations today.