Melissa Sanford
She has a distinguished background in the U.S. Navy, where she served on the Commanding Officer's Administrative staff at the National Naval Medical Center. She also participated in the first Gulf War, earning several medals and ribbons. Following her military service, she worked as a Navy liaison, interacting with members of Congress, the Senate, Supreme Court Justice, and the Office of the President of the United States. She holds a B.A. from DePaul University and an MBA from Auburn University.
Later on, she was recruited by Apple and enjoyed a successful career there. She played a significant role in launching the iPhone into the enterprise market, particularly during an economic downturn when businesses were seeking digital transformations and ways to monetize applications. During this time, she developed a deep understanding of cybersecurity by collaborating with IT professionals to deploy and manage iPhones securely.