Melanie Rice is the General Counsel of LifeStyles, a global leader in the sexual wellness industry.  As an experienced lawyer, designer/business-owner and mother, she applies her knowledge, passion, ethics and drive holistically across all facets of life.   Her optimistic attitude coupled with an instinct to quickly identify and assess key risks allows her to align quickly and work closely with business partners to achieve practical and tailored solutions.  She is a commercial, creative and agile business partner who successfully manages rapidly changing, high-pressure environments by building and developing strong, dedicated teams and delivering strategic and focussed results.

Melanie commenced her career in private practice, specialising over the next decade in commercial litigation and media law across large as well as boutique firms, where she gained extensive experience both in the court room and in conflict resolution.  Concurrently, she pursued a path in design - creating and building a brand and small business, acquiring skills in design thinking as well as gaining a unique perspective on the importance of strategy and planning in business growth.  A leap into the corporate sector at Ansell Ltd - first as inhouse Legal Counsel in the Asia Pacific Region, followed by Senior Legal Counsel managing the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions – advanced her technical and management skills, propelling Melanie into her current role as General Counsel of LifeStyles.  LifesStyles was born from a spin-off from Ansell Ltd’s global sexual wellness business in 2017.  Having recently celebrated its 5-year anniversary as a new standalone global organisation, LifeStyles is thriving, ready with ambitious plans for growth and continued success.