Melissa Taylor is a seasoned finance and accounting leader with more than 25 years of experience across healthcare, retail, technology, and energy. As Financial Controller at Usona Institute, she leads financial oversight, vendor and contract management, and cross-entity coordination in support of the organization's clinical research and drug development programs.
Prior to joining Usona in 2024, Melissa spent more than a decade as Financial Controller of Shopbop.com, an Amazon.com subsidiary, where she owned the full accounting cycle, including revenue recognition, month-end close, and internal controls, while partnering closely with Amazon on system integrations as the business scaled. She previously served as a Financial Reporting Manager at Epic, managing financial reporting to the executive team and leading the company's annual external audit.
Earlier in her career, Melissa held finance leadership roles at Brown Shoe Company, including Finance Manager for its Specialty Retail division, and gained additional experience at Alliant Energy Integrated Services and Datex-Ohmeda. She began her career as a Senior Auditor in the Chicago office of Arthur Andersen, LLP. Known for her disciplined, hands-on approach to financial stewardship, Melissa is passionate about building the systems and controls that allow scientific innovation to move forward responsibly. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a Certified Public Accountant.