Melissa Pauline
CONTROLLER | ONBOARDING LEAD
PROFILE
As a Controller and Onboarding Lead, Melissa brings 23 years of progressive accounting experience to Level10 CFO®. Her extensive background spans banking, CPA firms, outsourced accounting, and the nonprofit sector. Sitting in the onboarding seat, Melissa possesses a remarkable ability to connect with new clients, ensuring they feel confident and secure in Level10’s ability to optimize their financial systems. A Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP), Melissa considers nonprofit accounting her personal “sweet spot”. When working with clients, she actively avoids overly technical jargon, preferring to act as a collaborative partner rather than a purely technical accountant. This candid, conversational approach allows founders to truly understand their financial health and make informed operational decisions.
EDUCATION
Coming Soon!
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Melissa’s career began in banking as a bookkeeper and advanced through various roles up to director and controllership levels. Before joining Level10 CFO®, she served as the Head of Finance & Operations for the Sustainable Ocean Alliance, where she managed an $8M budget, strengthened internal controls, and partnered with executive leadership on multi-year strategic planning. Her prior roles also include serving as an Accounting Manager for New Economy CPA, where she led monthly closings for multiple clients and collaborated on cash flow management and forecasting.
Throughout her career, Melissa has been a strong advocate for adopting new technologies, seamlessly aligning with Level10 CFO®’s tech-forward approach. She actively leverages automation and AI to streamline workflows, eliminate human error, and ensure financials are fiscally sound. Furthermore, she strongly embodies Level10 CFO®’s core value to “brave the crucial conversations”. Melissa understands that transparency is vital for a company’s success and is never afraid to have difficult discussions to help clients course-correct when their books don’t match their perceived performance.
Her dedication to client success and strategic problem-solving is exemplified by her ability to step into complex accounting environments and quickly bring clarity to the financial picture. Melissa has led numerous clean-ups and process improvements, helping organizations move from fragmented or outdated systems to streamline financial workflows. By strengthening reporting structures and internal controls, she enables leadership teams to rely on accurate financial data when making critical business decisions.
Throughout her career, Melissa has been a strong advocate for adopting new technologies, seamlessly aligning with Level10 CFO®’s tech-forward approach. She actively leverages automation and AI to streamline workflows, eliminate human error, and ensure financials are fiscally sound. Furthermore, she strongly embodies Level10 CFO®’s core value to “brave the crucial conversations”. Melissa understands that transparency is vital for a company’s success and is never afraid to have difficult discussions to help clients course-correct when their books don’t match their perceived performance.
Her dedication to client success and strategic problem-solving is exemplified by her ability to step into complex accounting environments and quickly bring clarity to the financial picture. Melissa has led numerous clean-ups and process improvements, helping organizations move from fragmented or outdated systems to streamline financial workflows. By strengthening reporting structures and internal controls, she enables leadership teams to rely on accurate financial data when making critical business decisions.
MORE INFORMATION
Based in East Providence, Rhode Island, Melissa is deeply committed to giving back to her community. She volunteers extensively and serves in board and leadership roles for local nonprofits focused on children’s health and pediatric cancer, including A Wish Come True, Savvy Giving by Design, and the Hasbro Children’s Hospital Leadership Council. Outside of her professional and volunteer work, Melissa and her husband are avid travelers, having recently visited Ireland, Nice, Monaco, London, and Italy. They are also massive New England Patriots fans and have set a personal goal to see the team play at every NFL stadium in the country