Melissa Dyrdahl
Encyclopedia
Melissa Dyrdahl is the chief executive officer
of Bring Light
, based in Cupertino, California
. Dyrdahl lives in California
.
and was director of worldwide sales operations at Claris
, the software subsidiary of Apple Computer
.
Dyrdahl joined Adobe Systems Incorporated as a founding member of the Home and Office Products Division when Adobe acquired Aldus Corporation in 1994, and eventually become Adobe's Senior Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Communications. Dyrdahl later oversaw the marketing and communications efforts related to Adobe's 2005 acquisition of Macromedia
.
Silicon Valley. In November 2008, Dyrdahl was named an Executive in Residence
at San Jose State University
's College of Business. She is also the VP of Marketing for the San Jose State University Alumni Association
.
Dyrdahl is also a former trustee of the San Jose Museum of Art
, and was formerly on the advisory board for the CMO Council, and the western region advisory board for Catalyst, a research and advisory organization working to advance women in business.
. She is also a recipient of the YWCA
Tribute to Women in Industry award and is an active mentor, and was named one of San Jose’s Distinguished Women in Business.
Dyrdahl is used extensively as an example of a "New Radical" in Julia Moulden
's book 'We Are the New Radicals: A Manifesto for Reinventing Yourself and Saving the World'.
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Bring Light
Bring Light
Bring Light, Inc. is an American company that runs an online web service which helps charities reach new donors and raise funds. It is also a social network for donors to find charitable projects to support and to help those donors make a bigger difference by getting others involved.-Origins:Bring...
, based in Cupertino, California
Cupertino, California
Cupertino is an affluent suburban city in Santa Clara County, California in the U.S., directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 at the time of the 2010 census. Forbes...
. Dyrdahl lives in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Career
In the early 1980s, Dyrdahl started her career working for a small ad agency. She later held several marketing management positions at Hewlett-PackardHewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
and was director of worldwide sales operations at Claris
Claris
Claris was a computer software developer formed as a spin-off from Apple Computer in 1987. It was given the source code and copyrights to several programs that were owned by Apple, notably MacWrite and MacPaint, in order to separate Apple's application software activities from its hardware and...
, the software subsidiary of Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
.
Dyrdahl joined Adobe Systems Incorporated as a founding member of the Home and Office Products Division when Adobe acquired Aldus Corporation in 1994, and eventually become Adobe's Senior Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Communications. Dyrdahl later oversaw the marketing and communications efforts related to Adobe's 2005 acquisition of Macromedia
Macromedia
Macromedia was an American graphics and web development software company headquartered in San Francisco, California that produced such products as Flash and Dreamweaver. Its rival, Adobe Systems, acquired Macromedia on December 3, 2005 and controls the line of Macromedia...
.
Nonprofit, Volunteer, and Honorary Positions
Dyrdahl is the chair of the board of directors for the Humane SocietyHumane Society
A humane society may be a group that aims to stop human or animal suffering due to cruelty or other reasons, although in many countries, it is now used mostly for societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals...
Silicon Valley. In November 2008, Dyrdahl was named an Executive in Residence
Entrepreneur In Residence
Entrepreneur in residence , sometimes executive in residence, is a position or title within the venture capital, law firm, and business school industries, typically held by a seasoned entrepreneur who is brought on-staff by a venture capital firm, university or other organization.The EIR role in a...
at San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
's College of Business. She is also the VP of Marketing for the San Jose State University Alumni Association
Alumni association
An alumni association is an association of graduates or, more broadly, of former students. In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, schools , fraternities, and sororities often form groups with alumni from the same organisation...
.
Dyrdahl is also a former trustee of the San Jose Museum of Art
San Jose Museum of Art
The San Jose Museum of Art is an art museum in Downtown San Jose, California, USA. Founded in 1969, the museum hosts a large permanent collection emphasizing West Coast artists of the 20th- and 21st-century. It is located next to the Circle of Palms Plaza and Plaza de César Chávez...
, and was formerly on the advisory board for the CMO Council, and the western region advisory board for Catalyst, a research and advisory organization working to advance women in business.
Awards and honors
In May 2004, Dyrdahl was named "Best Marketing Executive" by the American Business AwardsStevie Awards
The Stevie Awards were created in 2002 to honor and generate public recognition of the efforts, accomplishments, and positive contributions of companies and business people worldwide...
. She is also a recipient of the YWCA
YWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
Tribute to Women in Industry award and is an active mentor, and was named one of San Jose’s Distinguished Women in Business.
Dyrdahl is used extensively as an example of a "New Radical" in Julia Moulden
Julia Moulden
Julia Moulden is a Canadian author, speaker, speechwriter and communications consultant who is based in Toronto. She has published two books and has written and been featured in several periodicals, newspapers and other media.-Books:...
's book 'We Are the New Radicals: A Manifesto for Reinventing Yourself and Saving the World'.