Melissa Barra

Melissa Barra serves as the Executive Vice President, Chief Sales and Services Officer for Sleep Number. In this role, she leads the company’s customer-focused strategy, and the organization’s sales, real estate, field services, customer relationship, and enterprise technology teams. Barra joined Sleep Number in February 2013 as Vice President, Consumer Insights and Strategy and was promoted to SVP, Chief Strategy and Customer Relationship Officer in January 2015. She assumed her current responsibilities in June 2019.

Prior to joining Sleep Number, Barra held a variety of senior leadership roles in Finance, Strategy and Corporate Development for Best Buy Co., Inc. She also held corporate finance and strategy leadership roles domestically and internationally at Grupo Futuro, Citibank, and GE Capital.  

Barra has an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

In addition to her role on the Blue Cross Board of Trustees, Barra serves on the Board of Directors of Pentair, where she is a member of the Audit Committee. In the community, Barra is dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion, having served on the Board of Directors of the YWCA Minneapolis. In 2022, Barra was recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as one of the top Women in Business.

Committees: Corporate Investment & Development (chair), Technology & Operations