Education: J.D., magna cum laude, Cornell Law School: B.A., Louisiana State University.

Career in Brief: 2014–present: Visa Inc., Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary; 2011–2014: PepsiCo, Inc. (2011–2014: Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel; 2009–2011: Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Asia, Middle East and Africa Division; 2005–2009: Vice President and General Counsel, Frito-Lay, Inc.; 2002–2005: Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Frito-Lay, Inc.; 1996–2002: Vice President and Trademark Counsel, Frito-Lay, Inc.); 1993–1996: Baker Botts L.L.P., Associate; 1992–1993: US District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Judicial Clerk to the Honorable Sidney A. Fitzwater.

Location of Company HQ: San Francisco, California.

Primary Industry Sector: Financial Services and Financial Technology.

Revenues in the Last Financial Year: $20.6 billion.

Number of Attorneys Worldwide: Visa has 326 legal and compliance professionals, including 147 attorneys, in over 25 countries.

How is the legal function structured? The legal and compliance department at Visa is composed of centralized practice groups, such as Competition/Litigation, Mergers and Acquisitions, Marketing, Employment, Regulatory, and Anti-Money Laundering, as well as regional teams located with the business teams across the globe.

What are the top goals or areas of focus for the legal department? Given our innovative and evolving industry, we are constantly entering into new geographies and launching new products that have expansive regulatory profiles. As such, we have doubled down on training and education throughout the past few years to ensure that we have the capability to support our business partners. In addition, we have increased our use of sophisticated technology to enable efficiency across the business. Finally, we are focused on ensuring we are a truly inclusive and diverse team.

How does the law department avoid being perceived as the “office of no” while still ensuring it helps the client avoid liability? As a team, our vision involves legal and compliance leadership that is reflected in the “3Ps” — Proactive Partners who Protect. With the amount of innovation, change, and potential disruption in our industry, it is imperative that we remain proactive by forecasting opportunities and risks, and then developing strategies to guide our growth. As partners with our business colleagues, we pride ourselves on always having a seat at the table. The real magic in our profession is created when legal and compliance experts are equally business people. Lastly, our gatekeeping responsibility means we must work through complex issues with our business partners, and not only evaluate if something is legal, but also protect the company’s values and overall business strategy.

1. I rely on outside counsel when I need attorneys who have greater knowledge and experience in a particular area of the law than I do. This expertise can add real value to a project.

2. We expect diverse outside counsel teams and appreciate the knowledge and perspective they bring to every situation.

3. I take note when outside counsel demonstrate a strong willingness to learn. We hire outside counsel for their knowledge about a specific area of law, but it speaks volumes when they truly dig deep to learn about our complex business.

If not an attorney, what would you wish to be? I would be a teacher. I enjoy delving into new concepts and breaking them down into digestible pieces for others. I would love to be able to do that with young people and promote their ongoing intellectual curiosity

What book has influenced you the most? What is your favorite book? To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is and will always be my favorite book. I admired Atticus Finch so much, and I wanted to be an attorney because of that book.

What is the best career advice you have ever received? When I was a junior attorney, my former boss, Larry Thompson, told me that my greatest strength was that I was like a sponge because I would quickly soak up new problems and get them solved, and that I should always remain that way. This advice resonated with me because jobs in the legal field require you to frequently pivot from one area of the law to another, and new business challenges appear constantly. You have to be able to quickly jump in and get it done.

What advice would you give to a prospective General Counsel? You must be a great business partner to your CEO and Executive Committee colleagues to jointly accomplish the company’s goals. You must also think like a director, so you can effectively serve the board. Finally, you must develop and implement plans to hire, structure, and coach to bring out the very best in your team.