Jaileah X. Huddleston

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT JAILEAH X. HUDDLESTON

Leah currently serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer (General Counsel) and Corporate Secretary to CBIZ, Inc, the seventh largest accounting services provider in the US and the largest full-service professional services advisor of its kind in the US, providing accounting, tax, advisory, benefits, insurance, and technology services, primarily to middle-market businesses.At CBIZ, Leah partners with the Chief Executive Officer and other members of the Executive Leadership Team to set strategy for the organization and leads a team of employees across five states. She oversees all legal, compliance, and risk operations, including board and corporate governance, SEC strategy and reporting, litigation, executive compensation, labor and employment, cybersecurity, and regulatory matters. Joining CBIZ on the heels of a more than two-decade tenure of the prior General Counsel, Leah is also leading and integrating a team of legal professionals following her leadership on a transformational acquisition, increasing their resilience during a period of intense corporate change.She previously served as Associate General Counsel and Board Secretary to Brown-Forman, a Fortune company with a portfolio of well-known brands such as Jack Daniel’s and Woodford Reserve. At Brown-Forman, Leah planned and coordinated all Board and committee meetings, provided strategic advice and direction on all governance matters, and handled global subsidiary management. She also directed and advised on all SEC matters at the company, including annual public company filings and proxy statements.Leah led all legal aspects of multiple international M&A negotiations and closings, tax and treasury matters, strategic partnerships and joint ventures. She also advised on capital raising and financing activities, investor relations, ESG, executive compensation, real estate, privacy and IT matters. She served as regional general counsel for Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe. She holds a number of industry and civic board roles, currently serving as a Director for the Society for Corporate Governance, among others. She is also a frequent public speaker on boards, corporate governance, and securities laws Leah holds an MBA from the University of Missouri–Kansas City, a JD from Vanderbilt University School of Law, and a BA in English (cum laude) from the University of Michigan.