Congratulations to Melissa Clark for being named to Crain’s Chicago Business 2024 Notable Black Leaders! Melissa was celebrated among several other nominees due to her outstanding leadership, industry impact, and dedication to Primera. This special editorial feature honors notable leaders not only for their career accomplishments, but for their community involvement as well. Melissa is beyond deserving of this special recognition, and Primera is proud to celebrate her acknowledgement.

As Chief Financial Officer, Melissa is responsible for the overall financial well-being of Primera and its charitable organization, the Primera Foundation. She oversees all areas of corporate accounting and finance, including invoicing, accounts receivable, accounts payable, cash management, financial analysis. Melissa leads Primera’s accounting and finance teams with a passion for problem solving. Her contributions to the company are countless. Notably, Melissa successfully set up Primera’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), a key component to Primera’s long-term succession plan and culture of employee ownership.

In addition to her countless contributions to Primera’s financial success, Melissa is a strong advocate in her community. She actively volunteers for numerous organizations throughout Chicagoland and exercises her management skills through her leadership positions. Currently, Melissa is Treasurer of the Primera Foundation, sits on the Board of Directors and acts as Treasurer for Green City Market, Urban Growers Collective and Chicago Chefs Cook. She is a Co-Chair and Steering Committee Member of CFO Leadership Council (Chicago Chapter) and resides on the National Advisory Council for CXO Now. Melissa is also an active member of Chicago United and of the Advisory Council for Youth Guidance’s WOW (Working on Womanhood) Program.

Primera would like to congratulate Melissa and the other Notable Black Leaders for 2024 for their outstanding accomplishments and the positive impact they have made within our Chicagoland industries and communities. You can view the full list of Notable Black Leaders here.

Crain’s Chicago Business is a regional business publication from Crain, one of the largest privately owned business media companies with 21 leading business, trade and consumer brands in North America, Europe and Asia. It is a top source of news, analysis and information on business in metropolitan Chicago for decision-makers in the private and public sectors.