Her Story
About Shelby
Shelby Lax serves in IT department business management at the Options Clearing Corporation, where she assists the executive director in developing and driving vision and strategy for the entire department. With four years of experience in financial services IT, she began her career through a consultant training program at FDM that placed her at OCC for 18 months before she transitioned to full-time. Her work focuses on IT operations, bridging technology with business functions, managing internal technology solutions including SaaS platforms, and prioritizing customer experience for non-technical users. Shelby earned her undergraduate degree in Information Systems Management from Northern Arizona University after shifting from a pre-veterinary path and completed a master's degree in IT Management from Western Governors University in 2025. She received the OCEO award with her team at OCC, the company's highest recognition. Shelby attributes her success to her faith, her parents' emphasis on ambition, and the competitiveness developed through 12 years of year-round sports.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Shelby
01What do you attribute your success to?
I give all glory to God for everything. I'm super blessed to be in the position that I am. My parents are also a huge part of it. They've always taught me to be ambitious and go after what I want. I've always been pretty competitive as well. I grew up playing sports year-round for 12 years, so I have a little bit of competitiveness in me that drives wanting to be successful.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Do not let the people around you compare yourself to everyone else. Be patient with yourself to understand what you're passionate about, where your skills lie. Gain the experience to understand where you should drive your path forward. Don't be pressured by the timeline or your surroundings to try to get everything done before you graduate.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
IT has historically been siloed. There's growing pains in integrating with business functions, especially in a financial institution. Need to focus more on customer experience and how non-technical users interact with systems, not just functionality.
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