This week’s collection of notable internal transitions also encompasses placements at Circana, John Wood Group, Agoda, and Northern Trains.
Disney advances General Counsel to Chief Legal Officer amid ongoing legal battles involving DeSantis.
The entertainment behemoth Walt Disney Co. has elevated Horacio Gutierrez to the position of chief legal officer, a newly established role as per a December securities filing.
Gutierrez, formerly Disney’s general counsel, joined the company in 2021 from Spotify. His promotion elongates his tenure at Disney until the culmination of December 2026, concurrently boosting his annual base salary to $1.5 million.
Amidst a highly publicized legal clash with Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, Disney found itself embroiled after openly opposing a state legislation endorsed by DeSantis. This law prohibits schools from providing instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity to young children.
In response, DeSantis retaliated by assuming control over the governing district responsible for offering municipal services to Disney’s Florida-based Disney World theme park resort—a territory previously overseen by Disney. Subsequently, Disney filed a lawsuit against DeSantis, alleging violations of its freedom of speech rights.
In March of the previous year, Gutierrez took on the responsibilities of chief compliance officer after the company parted ways with former CCO Alicia Schwarz amidst a broader wave of job layoffs.
Then, come September, Disney recruited Louise Pentland, former PayPal CLO, to serve as the chief counsel of its Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products division. Pentland reports directly to Gutierrez.
Before joining Disney to succeed longtime GC Alan Braverman, Gutierrez had an extensive tenure at Spotify, spanning nearly six years. Prior to his role at Spotify, he accumulated over 17 years at Microsoft, ultimately assuming the position of GC in the final six months of his tenure there.
Disney experienced a 7% revenue growth in the financial year concluding in September 2023, reaching $88.9 billion.
Olympus chooses Cigna to facilitate its succession plan for the General Counsel position.
Olympus Corporation, the Japanese tech company, has designated Neil Boyden Tanner as its upcoming global general counsel, succeeding Donna Miller, who will retire in June.
Tanner, previously serving as the GC overseeing finance, strategy, and international markets activities at the US healthcare and insurance company Cigna, will commence his tenure at Olympus on January 8. He will collaborate with Miller to ensure a seamless transition, assuming the official role on April 1. Tanner will directly report to Olympus President and CEO Stefan Kaufmann.
Miller expressed, “Neil embodies the ideal fit for Olympus, with his profound understanding and appreciation of Japanese culture, coupled with his expertise in international law and the healthcare sector. While I eagerly anticipate my retirement, I regret not having more time to collaborate with Neil, knowing his substantial contributions at Olympus.”
Having spent over 14 years at Cigna in various legal capacities, Tanner initially joined as the chief counsel for Cigna Global Health Benefits. Before that, he served nearly five years as the associate GC for international affairs at Aramark Corporation, preceded by a tenure in private practice at Pepper Hamilton.
Miller, concluding her tenure as group GC since 2016, previously served as the GC for the Americas after joining Olympus in 2006.
Kaufmann remarked, “Donna has established and upheld an exceptional global legal department, offering astute guidance to me, my predecessors, and the Olympus executive team over the years. Though her departure is regrettable, we are thrilled that she will assist in the transition to our incoming global general counsel, Neil Tanner, whose expertise and leadership are exactly what we require for the future.”
Circana brings on board Neiman Marcus’ Chief Legal Officer to take over the role of the legal head.
US consumer research firm Circana has appointed Hannah Kim as its latest Chief Legal Officer, taking over from Susan Bennett, who is resigning to allocate more time to her family.
Kim arrives from Neiman Marcus Group, where she also held the role of Chief Legal Officer. At Circana, her responsibilities encompass overseeing the company’s global corporate legal, compliance, and privacy functions while serving on its executive leadership team.
Kirk Perry, Circana’s President and CEO, remarked, “[Kim] brings exceptional experience and insights garnered from guiding legal strategies for leading retailers and brands worldwide. We eagerly anticipate benefiting from her guidance and leadership as Circana continues its journey to simplify complexity for our clientele.”
Having spent two and a half years at Neiman Marcus Group, Kim previously served as CLO at battery manufacturer Energizer Holdings. Her professional background includes roles at Bank of America and Lowe’s Companies.
Bennett, with a legal career spanning back to 1993, will remain temporarily as an advisor to ensure a seamless transition. She assumed the role of CLO at Information Resources Inc. in 2019, which merged with the NPD Group in 2022 and rebranded as Circana last year, initially joining as General Counsel.
Perry expressed, “Susan has been an indispensable member of our leadership team since joining our company almost a decade ago, aiding the strategic advancements that expanded our global presence, enriched our insights and solutions, and positioned Circana as an industry frontrunner. Her contributions have laid a robust foundation for our future growth, and we value her ongoing commitment to facilitating a smooth transition for our legal team in the upcoming weeks.”
The former General Counsel of ASOS secures a position at the Thai travel company Agoda.
Agoda, the online travel agency, has named Anna Suchopar as its fresh general counsel, succeeding Tom Thomas, who is transitioning to a different role within the company.
Previously serving as GC and company secretary at online fashion retailer ASOS, Suchopar will oversee legal and compliance matters for Agoda, based in Thailand.
In a LinkedIn post, she expressed her excitement: “I’m thrilled to join Omri Morgenshtern and the Agoda leadership team as the general counsel, leading and being part of such a talented legal team at Agoda.”
Having spent nine years at ASOS, Suchopar initially joined from Virgin, where she worked as an IP lawyer. Her legal career commenced at Taylor Wessing in private practice.
She also conveyed gratitude to Tom Thomas: “I’m immensely grateful to Tom Thomas for handing over the reins and entrusting me with the team he established and nurtured into the powerhouse it is today. I’m pleased to continue collaborating with Tom as he assumes his new role at Agoda as executive advisor to the CEO, focusing on specific projects.”
Wood appoints the legal head from Nabors as the replacement for the General Counsel position.
John Wood Group, the British engineering and consulting firm, has named Michael Rasmuson as its new Group General Counsel, succeeding Martin McIntyre, who is departing the company.
Rasmuson arrives from Nabors Industries, an energy tech business, where he held the positions of GC and Chief Compliance Officer. In his new role at Wood, he will oversee all legal matters, based in the company’s Texas office and reporting directly to CEO Ken Gilmartin.
With over five years at Nabors, Rasmuson previously spent 16 years at Baker Hughes in various legal capacities, culminating in his role as Executive Counsel for product compliance and legal matters. His prior experience includes private practice at CMS, Gowlings, and Miller Thomson.
McIntyre, who has been with the company for over 23 years and served as GC since 2018, is departing. He will continue as company secretary until Wood identifies a suitable replacement. Before joining Wood, McIntyre worked as a corporate partner at the historic Scottish firm Paull & Williamsons.
Northern Trains introduces the arrival of their new leader in the legal department.
UK train operator Northern Trains has named Nush Price as its new head of legal, stepping into the role previously held by Jenny Henderson, who has joined the UK’s rail operator of last resort Department for Transport OLR Holdings Limited (DOHL).
Price joined the company in late December from Starling Bank, where she served as SME collections strategy lead. In her new capacity, she will supervise all legal affairs at Northern.
Lisa Leighton, Northern’s people director, expressed enthusiasm, stating, “She brings a wealth of experience from her work across public and private sectors, including travel and leisure, and we’re delighted to welcome her into the railway family.”
Before her tenure at the UK challenger bank Starling, Price held a directorial position at the British Business Bank. She had two stints at the Leeds-based law firm Walker Morris, interspersed with a three-year tenure as a commercial solicitor at the UK travel company Jet2holidays. Price initiated her career as a trainee at DLA Piper.
Meanwhile, Henderson departs after two years at Northern. Previously a commercial lawyer at Siemens Gamesa and Siemens, she also worked as a solicitor at the regional firm Andrew Jackson. In her new role at DOHL, responsible for LNER, Northern Trains, TransPennine Trains, and Southeastern Trains, Henderson assumes the position of group general counsel, overseeing legal strategy, and compliance matters.
