About Melissa Henricks
Executive Leadership in Financial Services, Technology, and Fraud Protection
I’m a financial services and fintech executive with over 20 years of experience leading product, fraud, and digital transformation initiatives for banks and technology companies. I’ve built and scaled platforms used by hundreds of millions of customers, led global teams, and partnered with executive leadership and boards on high-stakes strategic decisions.
Professional Background
Before founding Melissa Henricks Strategy Group, I held senior leadership roles in organizations ranging from PE-backed startups to global enterprises; below are a few key past positions:
VP, Product & CPO, 360 Fraud Protection by AppGate
VP, Product, Digital Banking Platform for Alkami Technology
SVP, Commercial Loan Origination System Implementations for Custom Credit Systems
These (and other) roles gave me the real-world experiences that made the transition to consulting a natural progression of my career. I can help companies solve hard problems, because I’ve:
Led digital banking, loan origination, and fraud protection product strategy initiatives
Built and scaled platforms serving hundreds of millions of users
Guided organizations through digital modernization and platform transformation
Partnered with banks and fintech providers across North America and Latin America
Supported executive leadership through periods of rapid growth and change
Balanced innovation with security, compliance, and operational rigor
What distinguishes my work is the combination of strategic depth and operational experience. I don’t advise from the sidelines. I’ve been responsible for execution, outcomes, and risk in highly regulated environments, and I advise from this firsthand experience.
My Approach
I believe effective advisory work must be grounded in reality.
My approach is practical, data-informed, and execution-focused. I work directly with leadership teams to clarify priorities, evaluate tradeoffs, and help determine how to translate strategy into action.
Rather than delivering generic frameworks, I focus on:
What leaders need to decide now
What risks matter most
What capabilities must be built or strengthened
How teams can move forward with confidence
Clients value my ability to combine strategic perspective with deep operational understanding to help them make faster, more informed decisions without sacrificing rigor.
Why I Founded My Own Company
After spending most of my career in product and engineering roles at B2B fintech companies, I founded Melissa Henricks Strategy Group to work more directly with organizations navigating high-stakes transformation.
Today, I partner with banks, credit unions, fintechs, private equity companies, and other organizations that need experienced, objective guidance on growth, risk, and technology strategy.
My goal is simple: to help leadership teams build resilient, scalable organizations and products that earn and sustain customer trust.
Outside of Work
In addition to advisory, project, and speaking work, I enjoy spending time in Plano, Texas, with my husband and two teenage children. You can find us watching Marvel movies and playing board games most weekends.
Schedule a Consultation
If you’re navigating growth, risk, or transformation and would value an experienced, objective partner, I’d welcome the opportunity to connect.
Contact me directly by sharing a few details and clicking Submit. I’ll be in touch personally within one business day to discuss next steps.