Merchants Announces New Chief Marketing & Communications Officer

December 8, 2025

Merchants Bonding Company™ is pleased to announce that Melíssa Harden will become Chief Marketing and Communications Officer as Therese Wielage retires in January 2026. Melíssa will officially join Merchants on December 15, 2025.

Melíssa comes to Merchants from the Boston-based global marketing firm Digitas, where she served as Vice President and Group Director of Search Intelligence. At Digitas, she led a multi-disciplinary team in developing forward-thinking strategies to drive sustainable growth in an increasingly data-, AI-, and communications-powered business landscape. She directed comprehensive market analysis, strategic problem-solving initiatives, executive communications, and thought leadership programs for a diverse portfolio of clients.

In her new role, Melíssa will join the Executive Committee and serve as Vice President of the Merchants Bonding Company Foundation.

Prior to her time with Digitas, Melíssa held leadership roles as Vice President at intentX in Los Angeles and as Director of eCommerce at Meredith Corporation in Des Moines.

A native of the Des Moines area, Melíssa graduated from Valley High School and Iowa State University. She and her husband, Drew Harden, have two teenage sons.

Therese Wielage will retire following a distinguished career marked by visionary leadership and meaningful contributions to Merchants’ growth and its respected position within the surety industry. Her legacy has shaped the company’s brand, culture, and industry voice. Merchants looks forward to Melíssa's leadership as we continue pursuing our bold growth strategy and strengthening our commitment to being the most trusted team in surety.