Her Story
About Melissa
Melissa Parker is a seasoned technology executive and Vice President, Software Engineering at Corebridge Financial, where she leads enterprise DevOps platform toolchain services. With nearly three decades in IT and over twenty years in financial services, she has built her career at the intersection of engineering, infrastructure, and security. Her leadership focuses on enabling secure, scalable, and efficient software delivery across hundreds of regulated applications while strengthening operational resilience and compliance in highly complex environments. Throughout her career, Melissa has progressed from early roles in production support and quality assurance to senior leadership positions across major financial institutions, including AIG. She has led major transformation initiatives, including cloud migration to AWS, enterprise CI/CD modernization, and the implementation of DevSecOps strategies. Her work has contributed to significant business outcomes, including supporting a multi-billion-dollar IPO transition, reducing operational risk through automation, and improving delivery efficiency across global engineering teams. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the New York Institute of Technology, along with AWS Solutions Architect and Project Management Professional certifications. Melissa is widely recognized for her ability to build high-performing teams and drive large-scale organizational change through platform engineering and continuous improvement. She actively mentors emerging professionals and contributes to leadership development through employee resource groups and community initiatives. Known for her servant leadership and collaborative, systems-focused approach, she is passionate about advancing modern engineering practices that balance speed, security, and governance while fostering innovation across enterprise environments.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Melissa
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to family, strong colleagues, and mentors who have guided and supported me throughout my career, as well as continuous on-the-job learning. I also credit my eagerness to learn, participation in leadership training, and the pursuit of professional certifications, all of which have helped me grow and strengthen my skills over time.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to "know my superpower", actively market myself, and speak up about my work rather than assuming that strong performance alone will lead to recognition.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering my industry is to have confidence, be curious, and don't be afraid to reinvent yourself. Early in my career, I learned that it’s important to actively speak up, market yourself, and advocate for new opportunities rather than staying quiet and hoping to be noticed. Leadership training helped me realize that many women face the same challenges, and seeking out opportunities to work on visible projects that allow you to showcase your contributions is essential for growth and advancement.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges in my field have been navigating diversity and overcoming imposter syndrome. I was often the only woman in the room early in my career, although I’ve been encouraged to see the industry become more diverse over time. I also had moments of questioning whether I truly belonged, especially coming into the field without a traditional computer science background and earning my degree later than many of my peers. Now, with the rise of AI, there are new opportunities and challenges to adapt to. The challenge is that it is constantly changing our ways of working and threatens to redefine many roles in the workforce. However, it offers the opportunity to learn new skills and work more efficiently than ever before, and I'm excited to continue growing in such an evolving and exciting space.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in my work and personal life are empathy and compassion, integrity, a commitment to continuous learning, and active support for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.