Melissa Maloul, Sr. Director, People Operations & Culture
I’ve been with Nordis for 11 years, developing and evolving the human resources department in step with the company’s growth. My work in leading recruiting, training and career development is designed to keep our culture strong as we expand and ensure our workforce remains customer-focused. Whether it’s a team member or external candidate interviewing for an open position, we’re mindful of both skill set and “heart set.” It’s critical that employees and new hires understand our business purpose and see how their work for Nordis matters in the lives of one another and our customers.
I draw on my experience as a Certified Life Coach to help our employees find and pursue their career paths. We believe each person’s employee journey at Nordis can and should be rewarding.
Our HR initiatives go beyond strict professional development to support the whole person. Since 2020, we’ve rolled out programs on stress management and self-improvement. Employees can participate in group mediation, yoga sessions, and sound healing, which is an ancient meditative practice. Our CEO Ronnie is a big supporter of these efforts, and folks in all areas of the company participate.
With my background in the arts, I like to take a creative approach to making mandatory and other professional training more engaging and effective. For example, annual compliance training falls in June, so we’re taking a ‘summer school’ approach, kicking it off with a gathering outside, snacks and surprises. We also leverage technology: Our mobile app makes completing the training convenient for employees.
At home, my creativity comes out in the kitchen. We constantly cook, and I’m fierce about my little herb garden. My partner plays a ton of instruments, and we have a music studio at home, so we’re always surrounded by music.
My son attends college in Iowa, my oldest daughter will start college in Florida in the fall, and my youngest daughter begins high school this fall as well. I’m a Miami native, so I love enjoying the natural beauty of South Florida with my family.
Steve Dubner, Vice President, Product Management
I’m one of the newest team members but may have known Ronnie the longest: We lived in the same building in Brooklyn when we were kids. He and his family moved away when he was about 12, and we weren’t really in touch again until our paths crossed professionally, decades later.
My role at Nordis is driving product development and delivery, advancing our Expresso® suite of communications and payments solutions.
My software product development and implementation career has been chiefly in bill pay, via digital channels and, increasingly, real-time payments (RTP). I’m a Nacha member (the payments governance association), I’ve made presentations about the Federal Reserve’s RTP service, FedNow, and have been involved with the Faster Payments Council. I’m all about making sure companies get paid any way a customer or a business wants to pay.
While I appreciate how technologically forward Nordis is, I was drawn to its culture. People are engaged and connected. It’s a place where you can make things happen. For me, agility is everything. I’m a big fan of Jeff Sutherland’s book Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time.
My product management and development philosophy deviates from the standard, and Ronnie and the team appreciate this. Most companies follow the 80/20 rule, where 80% of the focus is on product and 20% on the tech debt, the cost of incurring and later reworking or updating code. I lean toward 60/20/20. That is, 60% product and core features, 20% tech debt, and the remaining 20% is innovation – generating, experimenting with and exploring new ideas.
Away from work, I love hiking, camping and boating with my family. We’ve long supported BSA Troop 97, New City, New York. Our two sons achieved their Eagle rank in the Boy Scouts of America, and the younger one just graduated college.
In life and at work, I put some stock in serendipity. I first met my wife when we were stranded for hours in the DFW airport due to a hailstorm. When Ronnie and I reconnected six months ago, he said, “There’s a reason we’re here right now, Steve,” and I replied, “Well, I always believed things happen for a reason.”
Want to learn more about our employee culture and product management? Get in touch.