Meet Shelley Chase, Software Fellow at Progress

As part of a yearlong celebration of our 40th anniversary, Progress would like to introduce you to some of our fantastic longtime employees who have made us who we are today. In this post, meet Shelley Chase, software fellow.

Shelley started here in September 1995 and now leads a team of software architects who work on Progress OpenEdge, a product her mentor Mary Székely, one of our co-founders, helped create. Shelley, who was one of very few women in her college engineering program in the 1980s, said she owes a lot to the positive role models in her life and her career. And now, she is a leader and mentor.

She’s a problem-solver and passionate about helping customers. But Shelley’s also the first person in her family to go to college, she’s a mother, and she loves her job and the people she works with

For our part, we’re #ProgressProud (as we like to say here) to talk with you about Shelley and her time with the company. Read the excerpts from our interview below:

How has Progress changed during your tenure?

What an interesting question to ask someone who has worked for Progress for over 25 years. Things have changed a lot. We’ve grown to a half-billion-dollar company, have had new leadership over the years each with their own way to run the company. Luckily, the flagship product of the company, OpenEdge, has remained front and center.

Who has taught you the most at Progress, and what did they teach you?

There are so many great people at Progress but the one I picked as my mentor was Mary Székely. Mary was a genius in technology but also a down-to-earth person, who cared about and respected everyone. She had a way of explaining complex concepts so they were easy to understand. And she welcomed all questions, especially from new engineers since she wanted to ensure their success at Progress. Mary also exemplified the job of everyone at Progress was to do the right thing for the customer, always.

What's your favorite memory at Progress?

Pre-COVID-19, the company celebrated milestone anniversaries down on the waterfront in Boston. The CEO staff and the recipients of five-year anniversaries and their partner were invited. It was my 20th anniversary with Progress. The event had amazing food (the biggest seafood tower I’ve ever seen) and great vignettes from all the recipients. It was a great night!

What makes Progress a great company and why has it stood the test of time?

It’s absolutely the people. Technologies change, processes change, requirements change but you will find many employees that have been here for many, many years. Progress also provides a great work-life balance and support so employees can manage their work and commitments.

What was the most ‘only at Progress’ moment that you've experienced?

In the 1990s, Progress gave out branded items at large meetings and corporate events. Many of us still here have a full set of T-shirts, jackets, sweatshirts, beach towels, water bottles, mugs and more. Since the branding has changed over the years, it is great to see everyone using their items and reminisce about my years at Progress. It’s like a mini-time capsule.

How has your life changed over your time here?

When I joined Progress, I was a single woman with little responsibilities outside of my career. Today I have a family and a daughter in college for nursing. Progress has been a great company to work for through all my life stages and will be for years to come.

To read more about Shelley’s career, check out “Lessons for Women in Tech, From 25 Years as a Female in R&D at Progress,” which she wrote last fall.

To get to know other Progressers like Shelley, read more of our Progress employee interviews here.

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