Susanna McDonald is vice president and chief legal officer of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), the world’s largest legal association dedicated exclusively to serving the interests of in-house counsel. With an international membership of more than 45,000 in-house lawyers at more than 10,000 organizations in 85 countries, ACC serves as the “voice of the in-house bar” for corporate lawyers at 98 percent of the Fortune 100 and 51 percent of the Global 1000.
McDonald leads the ACC legal department responsible for all office of the general counsel (OGC) duties, including employment, compliance, and commercial matters. She also oversees the association’s advocacy efforts, speaking out on behalf of the in-house bar, as well as legal resource development for all members. McDonald also leads ACC’s IT infrastructure and web development projects.
McDonald has served as a member of the legal team at ACC for 10 years, most recently as deputy general counsel and associate vice president, technology governance and compliance. She recently provided counsel on mergers in Australia and Hong Kong, as ACC welcomed members of the former Australian Corporate Lawyers Association (ACLA) and former Hong Kong Corporate Counsel Association (HKCCA) into the ACC membership base. She also advised on ACC chapter incorporation in the Middle East and Europe, navigating laws of multiple jurisdictions. McDonald has managed all matters of compliance and privacy for ACC, including issues specific to nonprofits and membership organizations.
A cum laude graduate of Delaware Law School, McDonald is a member of the Delaware State Bar Association. Prior to joining ACC, McDonald worked as counsel and director of information for CMS, a technology company based in Delaware. Earlier in her career, she was a software developer for the insurance, banking, and petrochemical industries, where her contributions included developing a system for managing complex toxic tort litigation claims.
