Prof Madelein Kleyn is a South African intellectual property and commercial legal executive with more than 25 years’ international experience across multinational industry, private practice, consulting and technology transfer. She is the Founder and CEO of Mad K IP Consulting and has held senior leadership roles including Chief Legal and IP Officer at Omnisient, Director of Technology Transfer at Stellenbosch University Innovus, Group Manager: Intellectual Property and Legal at Oro Agri International, and Chief IP Legal Advisor at Sasol. A registered South African patent attorney, admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa, chemical engineer and Registered Technology Transfer Professional, Prof. Kleyn brings a distinctive combination of technical, legal and commercial expertise to intellectual property strategy, valuation, commercialisation, licensing, due diligence and cross-border transactions.
She has been recognised in IAM Strategy 300 since 2015, in the IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders rankings in 2023 and 2024, and in the WTR 300 since 2016. Her international professional leadership includes service as Vice President and Board Member of Licensing Executives Society International (LESI), Chair of the LESI Patent & Technology Licensing Committee, and Vice President and past President of LES South Africa.
Prof. Kleyn is also an experienced lecturer, trainer, author and speaker for universities, professional associations and international organisations, including WIPO.