The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Pinnacle Awards were announced Oct. 13, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place virtually Dec. 8.
Next is Public Company Executive Assistant of the Year finalist Melissa Unverferth, who’s executive assistant to the president and CEO at Hexagon US Federal. Here, she talks professional risks, proud career moments, career advice and more.
What has made you successful in your current role?
Assisting executives requires a key attribute: you really must care about people. In many cases that may be the executive themselves when they are traveling. I found in planning travel, what can go wrong often does go wrong. In those instances, I try to put myself in their shoes and think about what they need — most times, what they need is someone to figure it out. I then do what I do best, and that is just talking to the people working at the airlines, hotels, or any transportation.
It is amazing when you speak kindly to people and explain the situation, more times than not, they really try and help. I think my management team knows I really care for them, and they trust me to solve those unanticipated glitches. I can’t tell you how satisfying that is for me personally when I succeed in solving those challenges. If I can figure it out, they can proceed in doing their job well. And it’s not just for the executive team. Their travel often impacts others so if I can play a small role in getting that right, I know I am able to support our company’s success.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
I am most proud of the relationships that I have developed at Hexagon US Federal. I work with a wonderful group of people, with a lot of legacy knowledge. In my role, I often represent our leadership team. I want our team to feel they are equally important. I strive to give them the same level of respect. I think that goes a long way in developing lasting relationships. We are like a family in many ways, and it makes me proud to create that environment at work when we spend so much time with each other.
What’s the biggest professional risk you’ve ever taken?
Moving from a medical field to the defense industry. I was an executive assistant for nine orthopedic surgeons, and I loved my job and the doctors I supported. However, when our medical facility had budget cuts, I found myself having to consider a career change. It was scary and I knew nothing about the defense industry. I saw some job postings and figured I would take a risk and give it a shot.
I found that my background as a teacher and supporting the medical field had many of the same characteristics needed to succeed in this industry. Those previous professions deal with people and that is something I am good at, and also enjoy so much. I draw from those experiences and apply them to my current job. Ten years ago, I would have never imagined I would be doing what I am doing today, but the risk I took and the experiences I had led me to this role and I am so grateful with how it turned out.
Looking back at your career, what are you most proud of?
I arrived in this role shortly after a new leadership team took over. Many people in the company did not know them and they were making a lot of changes quickly. That can sometimes be daunting or intimidating to the workforce. I wanted to help put those worries aside and be a channel to the new leaders for them and help others get to know them. Communication is so important when you are changing things and I worked with our team to conduct Town Halls and WebEx meetings to share what was going on in near real-time. When the pandemic occurred, people were anxious and wanted to hear from the company.
What we were going to do and how were we going to ensure their jobs were safe in a time of uncertainty? I helped organize regular COVID task force meetings that shared the latest news and assisted in alleviating those concerns. We had our whole world turn upside down, but we kept up our communication going through it all and did so in a safe and caring manner. I was so proud of how we responded to this crisis, and I think our employees were proud of our company too.
What’s your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
I would recommend that you listen and respect others; it will go a long way. Most people succeed in jobs because they enjoy the work they do. I find if you take joy in what you do, care and pay attention to the people you work with, and have fun along the way, you will be happy in what job you choose.