Melissa Goldman initially joined Goldman Sachs in 1994 and spent 20 years in a range of Engineering functions. She left the firm in 2014 as a Managing Director to pursue an opportunity at JPMorgan Chase and later at Google. During her 10 years away, Melissa kept in touch with her network of GS colleagues and friends, ultimately leading her to rejoin the firm in 2024 as a Partner and global head of Engineering for Global Banking & Markets.
Tell us about the first time you worked at GS in 1994. What were you focused on, how long were you here and what was your experience like?
I found my way to GS as an analyst in 1994 after graduating from Carnegie Mellon with a degree in computer science. I knew that I wanted to put my technical skills to work in an industry where success was based on having the best engineering capabilities. Some of my earliest areas of focus involved migrating systems from mainframes to distributed technologies. I then spent the next 20 years at the firm in various positions managing engineering teams across different disciplines, focused on market, credit and liquidity risk management. I also led technical teams covering areas of finance and operations. I was very fortunate over those years to have created amazing relationships with people at the firm that continue to this day.
What led you to the decision to leave GS after 20 years? What did you leave to pursue and how did the firm prepare you for that endeavor?
As you might expect, I never thought I would leave GS. My experiences and growth here were enormously fulfilling, but an opportunity was presented that offered the chance to apply all the skills that I had developed at GS to a different portfolio of work. I therefore took the opportunity to move to JPMorgan Chase and had the opportunity to work across many of the bank’s businesses, including their extensive Consumer and Commercial Banking portfolios and to take on topics like data as the firm CDO, in addition to my CIO responsibilities. So much of what I was able to accomplish in those roles was a function of the work I did at GS. After 8 years at JPMorgan Chase, I then spent the following 3 years in Tech at Google as their CIO, before ultimately returning to GS.
How did you leverage your GS network after you left the firm? Did your network help you rebuild your GS career after your time away?
My GS network has been a key source of support and value for the entirety of my professional career. Throughout my time away from GS, I regularly tapped into that network and maintained close connections to many of those individuals. These are people who I turn to when presented with a challenging decision or I might solicit for technical advice. But probably most importantly, they are relationships that transcend far more than my professional endeavors and have become deep and valued friendships.
How has your second round at the firm been after 13 years away and what excites you most about being back?
I’m so happy to be back, leading our engineering organization in Global Banking & Markets, and working with many other teams across the firm to deliver solutions that will help advance our Markets and Banking businesses. Even while navigating relearning the scale and complexities of the firm, I couldn’t be more excited about the future and my opportunity for impact.
What advice do you have for our alumni who are considering returning to the firm?
GS continues to be an amazing firm and sure, while after 10 years away, there are new and different things but, the core of what GS is – its culture of partnership, client service focus, expectation of integrity and excellence across all endeavors, have remained the same. Our people, our ability to convene and drive impact for our clients is unique and the ability to now bring fresh perspectives is truly an enriching experience and I am so proud to be back and a part of the firm again.