Jeannette Knudsen
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
“I am very proud to lead the Company’s legal discipline and to have had the opportunity to experience the incredible growth of the department. In addition to providing expert legal counsel, our team has worked diligently to establish processes and tools to help ensure we are true partners to other areas of the business, which has resulted in great collaboration and shared success.”
A senior legal executive with extensive experience in the corporate setting. In addition to a dedication to her discipline, Jeannette is committed to delivering essential mentorship and promoting diverse perspectives to further her team’s business-centric approach.
When Jeannette Knudsen, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, joined the Company she was only the second in-house lawyer. Today, she leads the continued evolution of the legal, compliance and regulatory functions at Smucker, which have grown along with the Company’s portfolio.
In her current role, Jeannette is deeply involved in developing and implementing strategic initiatives for the Company. This includes providing strategic counsel to support complex business transactions, leading implementation of governance programs to ensure compliance with the Securities and Exchange Commission and New York Stock Exchange, ensuring the Company’s commitment to adhere to regulatory standards and overseeing enterprise risk management.
Before taking on her current role, Jeannette provided critical leadership as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. In this role, she helped lead transformational acquisitions; evolved the Company’s governance practices; established compliance and enterprise risk management programs; and worked cross functionally on corporate responsibility initiatives. Prior to joining the Company, Jeannette was an Associate Attorney with Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP where she practiced in corporate transactions, intellectual property, real estate and construction
Jeannette provides leadership for several professional and philanthropic organizations in addition to her work at Smucker. This includes her roles on the Intellectual Property Advisory Council and Miller-Becker Center for Professional Responsibility for The University of Akron School of Law. She is also on the board for the Achievement Centers for Children, a non-profit organization with a mission to empower children and adults with disabilities to achieve their greatest potential.
In addition to these efforts, Jeannette is engaged in numerous professional and civic organizations including the Ohio Bar Association, Akron Bar Foundation, GC50, the Women’s General Counsel Group and the Consumer Brand Association Legal Committee, among others.
A graduate of The University of Akron, Jeannette holds a juris doctorate from the School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in psychology.