Jennifer I. Ansberry is an accomplished C-suite executive who serves as a boardroom advisor and has broad leadership experience in corporate strategy, corporate governance, crisis management, M&A, post-acquisition business integration and restructuring, enterprise risk management (ERM), compliance, regulatory affairs, environmental, social and governance (ESG) oversight and strategy and environmental, health and safety (EHS) matters.
Ms. Ansberry currently serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: LECO), a Fortune 1000, global manufacturing company with 10,000+ employees and 55+ manufacturing locations. Ms. Ansberry is responsible for the legal, compliance and EHS and sustainability functions.
Ms. Ansberry is an active advisor to the board and its committees on a variety of subjects, including M&A, corporate governance, risk management, compliance and regulatory affairs. She is the lead executive supporting the work of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. She also plays a key role in advising the board with respect to the company’s ESG program and strategy, and serves as the Chair of the company’s Executive Leadership ESG Committee. In her role leading the EHS and ESG functions, the company has been a top-quartile performer for safety in its industry, and is on track to meet or exceed its long-term sustainability goals. Ms. Ansberry regularly engages with the company’s investors and other stakeholders regarding its Higher Standard 2025 strategy and ESG goals.
Ms. Ansberry serves as a strategic advisor to commercial and operations teams, deploying a pragmatic, solutions-based approach. Ms. Ansberry is integrally connected to the company’s global operations, particularly in light of her responsibility for the EHS and compliance programs. Ms. Ansberry has extensive M&A experience and assumed a lead role in over 45 global joint venture and M&A transactions for the company representing over $1.5 billion in purchased assets. Her M&A experience covers much of the globe and she understands the unique aspects of transactional work in emerging countries (such as China, Brazil and India) as well. In addition, Ms. Ansberry has played a critical leadership role in post-acquisition business integration work, including extensive restructuring work related to an acquisition that doubled the company’s footprint in Europe. Ms. Ansberry has robust experience as an advisor to management and the board in risk management, including with respect to product liability litigation and regulatory affairs. The company has been recognized multiple times by Ethisphere as one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies”, reflecting its strong compliance culture and program.
Ms. Ansberry was promoted to her current role in 2017 after having served the company as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel. Ms. Ansberry’s long tenure with the company (18+ years) exemplifies her personal investment and dedication to ensure it achieves its strategic objectives.
Ms. Ansberry has a strong commitment to serving her community through civic and non-profit organizations and currently serves on the board of the Cleveland Leadership Center, which provides leadership and civic engagement opportunities to develop change agents in the community. Ms. Ansberry was a member of the Leadership Cleveland class of 2017 and is a member of the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Corporate Governance Professionals, an organization for which she has held various leadership roles. Ms. Ansberry received her BBA in accounting and JD from the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. Prior to joining Lincoln Electric, Ms. Ansberry served as a corporate lawyer at large law firms with a focus on M&A and securities work.