Alumna and WEX CEO to Speak on Campus March 26

“From Orono to Wall Street: One UMaine Grad’s Journey” will be the focus of a talk March 26 by UMaine alumna Melissa D. Smith, Class of ’91, president and CEO of WEX, based in South Portland. The free public lecture begins at 5 p.m. in Wells Conference Center. In January, Smith became chief executive officer at WEX and joined its board of directors. WEX is a leading provider of corporate payment solutions. The Girl Scouts of Maine presented Smith with the 2013 Woman of Distinction award and Mainebiz recognized her as a 2012 Woman to Watch. Smith previously served in a variety of capacities at WEX, including: president, president–The Americas; chief financial officer and executive vice president, finance and operations. She was chief financial officer in 2005 when WEX went public on the New York Stock Exchange. Smith, who started her career at Ernst & Young, is a co-founder of the Women’s Executive Forum, which seeks to attract, retain and advance women in the information security, IT risk management and privacy industries.