Melissa Centers Email Address

Consultant; Advisor to Boards of Directors, C-Suite and Chief Legal Officers; Attorney

State Auto |

Business-friendly director, strategic consultant, and attorney with nearly thirty years of leadership experience in a variety of disciplines, including mergers and acquisitions, public company governance, ESG, entrepreneurship, audit, compliance, human resources, executive compensation, information technology, program/project management, public relations, communications, and crisis management. *Board liaison with experience overseeing the agendas and content for committees and the Board, educating directors (including for SEC, regulatory and NASDAQ matters), developing and implementing a multi-year onboarding process, recruiting and vetting potential directors on behalf of the Nominating and Governance committees, and providing regular training concerning governance matters. *Creative problem solver who leverages expertise in multiple disciplines to provide comprehensive legal and business advice. *Proactive legal advisor (B2B and B2C) with a focus on removing organizational challenges and reducing risks before they become legal issues. *Relationship builder who develops strong partnerships inside and outside the organization. *Seasoned team leader with experience coaching and managing direct reports, matrix reports, and consultants. *Passionate project manager who leverages planning, bias for delivering “on time/on budget” results, business analysis, risk management and communications to drive strategic and operational success. *Communications expert who utilizes written and verbal communication skills to persuade, build consensus, create alignment, grow relationships, and enable the understanding of complex subject matter.