Kelley Barnett

About Kelley Barnett

Trusted C-Suite advisor with significant and broad-based legal experience in the financial services and manufacturing industries, currently serving as Global Head of Ethics & Compliance, Assistant General Counsel, and Assistant Secretary (Audit Committee) at MasterBrand, a nearly $3 billion public company headquartered in Ohio with employees across more than 20 manufacturing locations, and the number one North American residential cabinet business. Dynamic leader with a successful track record of managing operational and legal risk, strategic decision making, navigating highly regulated environments, and developing talent.Prior to joining MasterBrand, Kelley was Senior Vice President, Senior Managing Counsel at AmTrust Financial Services, a global P&C company based in New York City with $8.2B in GWP and $6.2B in total revenue and America\'s largest private insurance company. Reporting directly to the Chief Legal Officer, Kelley was responsible for managing the legal affairs and related strategy for intellectual property, data governance and privacy, artificial intelligence, labor and employment, certain M&A due diligence, antitrust matters, technology, SaaS, and vendor agreements, and matters within AmTrust\'s litigation portfolio for AmTrust’s US and International businesses. Prior to joining AmTrust, Kelley was a Partner in the Litigation Group at Frantz Ward. She was was a key member of national coordinating counsel product liability defense teams for various industrial and consumer products, and maintained a diverse practice in commercial contracts, business litigation, employment, OSHA, supply chain disputes, compliance, litigation management, and product liability matters. Prior to joining Frantz Ward, Kelley was a prosecutor for 7 years at the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor\'s Office, where she conducted grand jury investigations, tried more than 100 felony cases to verdict as first chair, and was promoted to the Major Trial Unit prosecuting the community\'s most violent offenders. Kelley is also a Non-Profit Board Executive, serving as a Director on the Board of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (CRCC), as well as the CRCC\'s Executive and Governance Committees.In 2019, Kelley launched the Cleveland chapter of the non-profit Ladder Down, a leadership, business development and mentoring program for women lawyers. Kelley serves on the National committee for Ladder Down and is also an active member in the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Racial Equity and the Law workgroup \"Interrupting the Legal Profession\'s Systemic Inequities.\"

Experience

1. Global Head of Ethics & Compliance

   MasterBrand, Inc.

   Jul 2025 — Present · Cleveland, OH, US

   Leads the development, implementation, and oversight of a best-in-class ethics, trade, and compliance program for MasterBrand, a global, publicly traded manufacturing company with approximately employees globally. Responsible for ensuring the company’s operations align with legal and regulatory requirements across multiple jurisdictions, including the U.S, Asia, Mexico, and Canada, and including SEC, DOJ, FTC and other regulations. Reports directly to the Chief Legal Officer and partners with the Executive Leadership Team to guide the company through complex regulatory landscapes and develop and execute on risk management initiatives and strategies, including during mergers and integrations.

Education

• Case Western Reserve University School of Law

  Juris Doctor, Law

  1995 — 1999

• Harvard Business School Online

  Leadership, Management & Strategy Program, Business Administration, Management and Operations

• Michigan State University - Eli Broad College of Business

  Bachelor of Arts, Economics

  1992 — 1995

• Questrom School of Business, Boston University

  Mini-MBA for In-House Counsel, Business

Skills

• Product Liability
• Corporate Internal Investigations
• Courts
• Public Liability
• Trial Practice
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Legal Advice
• Appeals
• Employment Law
• Arbitration
• Legal Writing
• Litigation
• Trials
• Fraud
• Mediation
• Civil Litigation
• Torts
• Commercial Litigation