Melissa Stapleton Barnes

Biography

Melissa Stapleton Barnes is senior vice president, enterprise risk management, and chief ethics and compliance officer for Eli Lilly and Company. Melissa joined Lilly in 1994 and has held a variety of business and legal roles, including general counsel for Lilly Diabetes and Lilly Oncology, managed market segment leader for national accounts, and Six Sigma black belt. Prior to taking her current role in 2013, she was vice president and deputy general counsel, global litigation and specialty legal. In this capacity, she was responsible for overseeing the company’s global litigation and investigations, as well as managing the corporate secretary’s office and specialty legal functions. Before joining Lilly, Melissa was a litigator for the law firm of Baker & Daniels in Indianapolis. Melissa earned a Bachelor of Science with highest distinction from Purdue University and a law degree from Harvard Law School. In 2012, Melissa was recognized by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association as a Rising Star, and in 2015 and 2016 she was recognized by Ethisphere as an Attorney Who Matters. In June 2016, she was elected as a member of the board of directors for Algonquin Power and Utilities Corporation, headquartered in Toronto. She also currently serves as vice chair of the board for The Center for Performing Arts and is a board member of the Great American Songbook Foundation, Visit Indy and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Research Interest

business development