Working at Elsevier showed me how big the world actually is

Since 2009, I went from not having a passport to leading a global team and meeting customers around the world, expanding my horizons every step of the way.

I joined Elsevier in 2009 after a few shorter-term roles at other companies. As a marketing professional, I was confident that was my career path. I had no idea what was in store as I began planting roots here, much like the tree that serves as our logo.

My previous jobs were regional roles at American companies, and all were focused on a narrow geographical scope: the New England region of the United States, where I have lived my entire life. I’d never left the country and never even applied for a passport. I had a vague sense of wanting to see the world but never had the opportunity and never felt like anything specific was missing. My world was small, and that was fine with me.

But upon starting to work at Elsevier — a multinational corporation with 9,500 employees serving customers in over 170 countries — I almost immediately recognized that I was part of something much bigger. I was introduced to colleagues in other countries who were professionals in their field, whether it was publishing, sales, operations, technology, or the myriad of other colleagues working in local markets and representing the needs of customers all around the world.

I started out in marketing in our Science & Technology Books unit; my role was focused on face-to-face events with consumers of our books. Through this work, I was able to meet people of diverse backgrounds. I learned about libraries, books, publishing and higher education in the context of regional priorities, customs, government regulations, politics and more.

I took my first international business trip in 2010, visiting London for a conference in one of our fields of publishing. My colleagues and I spoke to customers, learned about their work and their needs, and generated ideas for how we could engage with them in the future. This sparked a love of travel and a deep curiosity I knew I always had but had never really had the opportunity to explore before.

Over the next decade, I took on more senior roles in marketing and then in sales for our STEM books portfolio. This year, I just celebrated my 15-year anniversary with Elsevier. I am now the General Manager of two products in our reference content portfolio that have a global reach, and I’m supported by a team of 18 incredible product, commercial and data professionals across six countries and time zones! It’s a unique challenge to get calendars synced up, but the richness we gain from representing such a diverse community means we keep our customers’ diverse needs top of mind. I feel fortunate to have had an opportunity to hold different functional roles during this time, as I know it has made me more well-rounded and a better leader.

Through these experiences, I learned greater financial and commercial acumen, I learned how to be an authentic leader, and I gained the confidence to set big goals and take risks. I’ve made mistakes and had the safety net of my managers and other leaders at Elsevier, which has helped me learn and continue to grow. I take the responsibility of being a female senior leader at Elsevier seriously and spend a good amount of my time mentoring and coaching other women in our global business to ensure they have the same level of opportunity I had. This is how our business will continue to grow. Fostering talent in all places, from all backgrounds and with all skill sets makes us better and more well-rounded as an organization. I know I’m a better listener, a more creative thinker and generally a better leader because of the diversity I’m surrounded by daily.

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Through traveling to visit customers and colleagues, I’ve immersed myself in rich cultures that are completely different to my own lived experience. This has continuously sparked my curiosity and my desire to learn more. I’ve found joy in parts of the world I never thought I’d see in person, and I’ve learned from leaders, peers and partners in rooms I never thought I’d be in. And of course, I’ve eaten the most delicious food I never thought I’d taste!

One highlight of this time was being chosen to go on an incentive trip in 2022 to the Serengeti and having the privilege to bring my mom along with me. Being awestruck by a new place and experiencing another new culture is something I never tire of, but being able to give my mom that same experience because of the recognition of my contributions at Elsevier is truly a gift.

Throughout my career journey, my life has changed significantly, and I became a mother in 2011. Through the lens of inclusion, openness and curiosity, I have been able to shape my world view, figure out what matters most to me as a colleague, mother and a member of society, and gain empathy for others in a way I never had before. It’s made me more patient and made me realize how limiting it can be to assume that the whole world is (or should be) like it is outside my own window. It’s reinforced my desire to not only continue expanding my own horizons but to give my son opportunities to do this himself as well.

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People find these opportunities in many ways of course. Lots of people are brought up in families that move frequently or have family in other countries or find their own ways to experience the world. But for me, it’s been through my work at Elsevier that I’ve had the chance to do this. My life could easily have remained as it was before, and I might never have known what I was missing.

While building a career in a global organization, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing new cultures, norms and people that are new, exciting and unfamiliar. By working with people and visiting parts of the world that are radically different from my own, I’ve challenged my inherent assumptions and biases, become more open and inclusive of differences and achieved more than I ever thought possible. I lead a much richer life.

Melissa Fulkerson is the Vice President of Reference Solutions at Elsevier, based in Boston. She is passionate about advancing knowledge through research, trusted content, and education. She holds a BSc in Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Leadership (summa cum laude) and a certification from Harvard Business School Executive Education in Enterprise Leadership.

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