Background

Alisha Cieslak is a strategic General Counsel and multifaceted executive with nearly 20 years of experience architecting legal, risk, and compliance frameworks for multi-billion-dollar multinational enterprises. Operating at the intersection of business, law, and policy, she specializes in transforming the legal function into a scalable, value-generating engine that proactively mitigates systemic vulnerabilities while supporting long-range growth. Most recently, Alisha served as the Chief Legal & Risk Officer and Chief Communications Officer for Gordon Food Service, a $24B North American foodservice leader. Reporting to the CEO as a member of the North American Senior Leadership Team, she guided the company through a period of expansion where annual revenue doubled during her tenure. She led a diverse team of over 150 professionals across Legal, Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, ERM, and Government Affairs, managing an annual budget of $18M. Her impact included architecting enterprise cybersecurity frameworks, establishing an AI Center of Excellence, and modernizing the company’s risk management program into a strategic input for long-range planning. Previously, Alisha was the North American General Counsel for the Benteler Group. As the company’s first legal hire outside of Europe, she established the regional legal department and served as President for Benteler Steel/Tube North America, overseeing the site selection and construction of a major steel mill investment in Louisiana. A proponent of servant leadership, Alisha is dedicated to building high-trust cultures that empower leaders to act with purpose and autonomy. She holds a J.D. from Wayne State University and a B.A. from the University of Michigan. In 2025, she completed a graduate certificate in Board Governance from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Originally from Metro Detroit, she resides in Grand Rapids and is open to executive relocation across the Eastern United States.

Job experience

• February 2014 - February 2026
  Chief Legal & Risk Officer
  Gordon Food Service
  

  Grand Rapids, Michigan
• November 2010 - February 2014
  North American General Counsel
  Benteler Group
  

  Detroit, Michigan

Education

• University of Michigan Ross School of Business
  Certificate - Board Governance
  

  2025 - 2025
• Wayne State University Law School
  JD
  

  2006 - 2009
• University of Michigan
  BA
  

  2002 - 2006

  Political Science & Corporate Communications

• License to Practice Law
  State Bar of Michigan
  P73017
  

  - present