Having studied Animal, Environmental, and Marine Biology at university – and knowing nothing about the gases industry – Melissa Webber never imagined herself working for a company like BOC. Now 11 years into her career there, she’s a successful Major Accounts Executive managing some of BOC’s largest accounts and is grateful for all the opportunities she’s been presented with at BOC.
Stepping into a new industry
When Melissa joined BOC as a Scientific Sales Specialist she knew very little about gas.
“This was a fantastic role to start in the company and gave me exposure to many parts of our business from specialty gases, through to our bulk supply chain, and engineering capabilities. It was a steep learning curve for me, one which enabled me to foster relationships with colleagues across the business. This is extremely valuable to me as I was able to draw on the knowledge and experience of a vast and diverse range of people which I still collaborate with to this day.”
As someone who craves knowledge and new learning experiences, Melissa enjoys that there’s always something new to learn at BOC. The sense of making a difference to a sustainable future is aligned with her values. Now, as a Major Account Executive, Melissa manages the sales and strategic direction of some of BOC’s largest customers across Australia.
“There is always an exciting project to sink my teeth into, from working with defense customers as they build sovereign capabilities in Australia, to watching family-owned businesses expand and grow across the country. I have always felt supported, and I have been given many opportunities to develop in my career at BOC. I can really understand why people’s tenure is so long.”
Melissa has had the chance to grow and learn in her time at BOC. The multitude of opportunities has developed her to the point she can now pass more on to others.
“Upon reflection of my time with BOC I have come a long way and grown both personally and professionally. I have BOC to thank for the opportunities and their belief in me, giving someone who had no exposure to the gas industry a go. I now enjoy the opportunity to give back and help people around me with the same opportunities and exposure that I’ve had and share my knowledge and experience.”
Melissa loves the sheer diversity of BOC’s customers, and the ability to understand how businesses operate and what goes into their manufacturing processes.
Having an impact at work
We asked Melissa how she knew she’d made the right decision when joining BOC, and she told us a brilliant story of seeing your work come to life. On her first day with BOC, she visited a customer who was completing the design phase of a state-of-the-art medical research institute in Adelaide.
During her first five years at BOC, Melissa saw this project come to life, and now it’s a fully functioning building. She worked with architects, builders, and end-users to come up with a suitable solution for their bulk gas requirements.
“It was through this process that I knew I had made the right decision to work for BOC. I enjoyed the diversity of the role and the feeling we are helping to make a difference, considering our products are used in important research in this example.”
Beyond that initial project, Melissa’s role makes a real impact. Gas is a critical component for customer projects, and without it many customers would need to stop operations.
“I like that our products range from critical life-sustaining gases for the healthcare sector to fighter jets, through to medical research applications, and food and wine applications.”
Her clients have used one of BOC’s gas solutions to diagnose and monitor cancer treatments – so her work really does impact individual lives.
“Having exposure to these types of processes open your eyes to the vast industries our products go into and that we are playing our part in the betterment of our world.”
Caring for their people at BOC
BOC have interesting vacancies right now across the board and are committed to bringing more women into the organization through these roles. For her part, Melissa has seen the company grow and change in her time there.
“As the company has evolved over time it is great to see a focus on flexibility and diversity across the business and a real focus on gender diversity and supporting women in our workplace.”
Melissa’s own personal experience is certainly one where she’s been supported and developed. She has colleagues that she regularly approaches for advice, support, and technical support. When she reflects on her own career and the advice she would share with others, Melissa says,
“I wouldn’t change a thing. Take that step out of your comfort zone to do something completely different, and don’t be afraid to have a go or speak your voice.”
Personally, Melissa appreciates that she can have a national role while being based in Adelaide, rather than the Sydney head office.
“The business has remained flexible and embraced the many challenges that COVID has presented to our workforce and has shown we can still excel at our roles in any location. We are not alone and in some cases have been able to build stronger relationships as there is a strong sense of being all in this together.”
