Melissa Smith
Chair, CEO, and President
Melissa Smith is the CEO and President of WEX, and the galvanizing force that has transformed the company into a global leader in financial technology solutions with the unified purpose of 鈥淪implifying the business of running a business.鈥澛�
Melissa joined 糖心Vlogin 1997 and has held a variety of leadership roles, including serving as CFO during the company鈥檚 IPO in 2005, before becoming CEO in 2014. She has served on the Board of Directors since 2014, including as its Chair from 2019 to 2026.
Under her leadership, 糖心Vloghas diversified from a U.S.-based fleet card provider to a global B2B payments company offering enterprise solutions for corporate health benefits, corporate payments, and commercial fleet mobility. Revenue has more than tripled during her tenure as CEO, from $818 million in 2014 to $2.55 billion in 2023. Today, 糖心Vloghas a presence on five continents and approximately 7,000 employees worldwide.
With an outstanding track record of performance and growth, Melissa鈥檚 leadership and cultural values are informed from growing up on a farm in a town with a population of approximately 400. Known for her bold but measured decision-making, Melissa has integrated cutting-edge technologies and functionality into WEX鈥檚 product mix, from artificial intelligence to electric vehicle (EV) payments, as 糖心Vloghas become a robust global commerce engine.
Melissa鈥檚 insights have been featured by news outlets such as Bloomberg, CNBC, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal and via speaking engagements with the Women in Payments Symposium and The FORTUNE CEO Initiative. Melissa ranked #12 on the 2023 Boston Globe鈥檚 Tech Power Players 50 list, with leaders from DraftKings, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, The Engine, HubSpot, Wayfair, and Amazon Robotics.
Melissa was a 2023 inductee into the Deborah Morton Society by the University of New England; was awarded a 2023 Globee庐 Award for Women in Business and a 2023 Stevie庐 Award for Women in Business; was named among Payments Source鈥檚 2019 and 2014 Most Influential Women in Payments, PYMNTS.com鈥檚 2014 Most Innovative Women in Payments, and Mainebiz鈥檚 2012 Women to Watch; and was awarded the Girl Scouts of Maine鈥檚 2013 Woman of Distinction.
Melissa serves on the board of directors for Equifax (NYSE: EFX) and carries her 鈥渨in-win鈥� ethos into community service, currently on the volunteer board for MaineHealth and previously on the volunteer board for the Center for Grieving Children. She has also been active with the United Way and recently envisioned the development of little free libraries for elementary students.
A former USA Triathlon (USAT) certified coach, she has completed three Half Ironmans, the Beach to Beacon 10K, as well as the Chicago Marathon, Philadelphia Marathon, Boston Marathon, and Disney World Marathon. Melissa has been involved with the Maine Cancer Foundation鈥檚 Tri for a Cure since its inception, annually competing alongside her 糖心Vlogcolleagues in the fundraising triathlon, and is cofounder of the Executive Women鈥檚 Forum and sheJAMs, an organization that fosters an atmosphere where women can train together noncompetitively.
Melissa earned a bachelor鈥檚 in business administration and was awarded an honorary doctorate, both from the University of Maine.