When the general counsel has a seat at the chief executive’s leadership table, it sends a signal to the company’s stakeholders (internal and external) that ethics, compliance, and other legal risk considerations are a top priority of the company.
The Association of Corporate Counsel teamed with the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, one of the longest-standing corporate governance centers in academia and globally recognized thought leader in the corporate governance field, interviewed Kenneth C. Frazier, president and CEO of Merck & Co., Inc., on leadership, corporate culture, and the evolving role of the general counsel.
Video: Discussion on the Role of the General Counsel in Influencing Corporate Culture
The Weinberg Center recently hosted a discussion on the role of the general counsel as a corporate culture influencer. The Center has been working with ACC to examine this issue in light of ACC’s recent research and white paper on this topic. Participating in the discussion were the following:
- Veta T. Richardson, President and CEO of the Association of Corporate Counsel
- Gloria Santona, retired Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, McDonald’s Corporation; and an independent director of Aon Corporation
- Ann Mulé, Associate Director, John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance