Melissa Yusko Clawson ’05 is the Chief Audit Executive and Senior Director of Internal Audit for The Wendy’s Company, where she leads the organization’s global internal audit function and serves as a key advisor to senior leadership and the Audit Committee on enterprise risk, governance, and internal controls. With nearly 20 years of experience in internal audit, compliance, and operational risk, she brings extensive expertise in financial oversight, organizational risk management, and corporate governance. Prior to joining The Wendy’s Company, she spent more than a decade with Ernst & Young, providing risk advisory and internal audit services to organizations across a variety of industries.
Clawson earned a Bachelor of Arts in public accounting with a minor in leadership studies from Marietta College in 2005, and a Master of Accounting from The Ohio State University in 2006. At Marietta, she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Chi Omega and later received the College’s Liz Tribett MCAA Service Award in 2025. In recognition of her professional accomplishments and leadership, Clawson was named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Columbus by Women We Admire in 2025.
Clawson has maintained a longstanding connection to Marietta College through alumni leadership, volunteer service, and advancement initiatives. She served on the Marietta College Alumni Association Council from 2018-24, including as secretary, and has served as a member of the McDonough Leadership Advisory Board. Clawson regularly supports the College through mentorship, speaking engagements, and alumni engagement efforts, and contributes to initiatives that strengthen leadership development and lifelong connections among Pioneers.
A Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Risk Management Assurance professional, she currently serves on the board of the Institute of Internal Auditors Central Ohio Chapter and on the board of Central Community House in Columbus. She has also held numerous leadership roles within professional, alumni, and institutional organizations, including serving as president and board chair of the Central Ohio Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors.
Clawson resides in Delaware, Ohio, with her husband, Jared, and their daughter, Mackenzie.