Melissa Lora

In July 2023, Melissa joined the Board of Directors of NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) where she serves on both the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee of the company known for pioneering GPU – Accelerated Computing. Their work is at the center of the most consequential technology megatrends.

She served as Chairwoman for the Audit and Finance Committee of Conagra Brands (NYSE: CAG) for 5 years, a premier branded food company. She Chair’s the Nominating and Governance Committee at CAG providing strategic insight and a commitment to corporate governance.

Melissa is an experienced Lead Independent Director having served one of America’s leading homebuilders, KB Home (NYSE: KBH) for 20 years until her retirement in 2024. She Chaired their Management & Development Committee and was Chairwoman of the Audit and Compliance Committee from 2008 – 2018 for KBH. Her board leadership experience spans many industries including her role on the Board of Directors of MGIC from 2018 – 2022 serving on the Risk, Audit and Management Development Committees.

Melissa’s global c-suite leadership in financial and operating roles at Yum Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) demonstrated her thoughtful, strategic, results oriented approach to growth. During her 31-year career building Taco Bell Corp. they added 5,000 restaurants, $8 billion in sales, and became America’s #1 favorite Mexican restaurant (The Harris Poll).

Melissa retired as President of Taco Bell’s International business having led the strategy creation, built the structure and fueled the culture to create $1 billion of system sales by 2023.

As Chief Financial and Development Officer for over a dozen years, Taco Bell doubled operating profit, delivered industry leading margins and created irresistible capital returns.

She successfully navigated significant industry downturns and business crises as management, and as a board director, returning entities to strong financial performance and brand success.

Her passion rests in enriching the next generation of leaders, including over a dozen years on the USC Marshall School Corporate Advisory Board and, as Trustee and Finance Committee Chair at ArtCenter College of Design. She earned her MBA from the University of Southern California in 1986. Melissa and her husband Michael, reside in Orange County, California.