Melanie is the Co-Founder of Avantade and a seasoned entrepreneur in the packaging industry. She began her career in marketing at L’Oréal before joining her family’s cosmetic packaging distribution business in Germany, working with leading partners like Verescence, Albéa/Silgan, and Atracde Beauty.

In 2015, she founded Deflaco AG in Switzerland, a full-service packaging company, and later transitioned into M&A and private equity. Her companies were acquired by Berlin Packaging in 2019, where she served as a board member and led post-acquisition integration. After a career pause in 2021, Melanie pursued an Executive MBA in Digital Transformation at the University of St. Gallen, launched Etnoo Skincare—a passion project for children—and founded Solubi, a marketplace for sustainable packaging. In 2024, she partnered with Duncan to launch Avantade, continuing her mission to drive innovation in the packaging space.