New York-based PepsiCo announced Thursday that General Counsel Dave Yawman is stepping down after 22 years with the company and will be replaced by the company`s deputy general counsel and chief compliance and ethics officer. One of the reasons why this is the core of the legal service is that, when one thinks about the law and what it represents, it is the organizing principle of civilized society and, as such, should reflect all parts of that society. In its most desirable form, the law represents justice, inclusion and equality. As messengers and practitioners of law, we must do the same. So when we think about our legal department, these ideas need to be implemented, but we also need a team that reflects that. David Yawman most recently served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP: NASDAQ), a Fortune 50 multinational with more than $70 billion in revenues and a global leader in beverage and convenience foods, has joined the consulting division of BarkerGilmore, a New York-based executive search firm. As a new member of a distinguished team of Fortune 500 General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officers, Yawman brings his legal expertise and business acumen to the strategic consulting, leadership development and other services provided by BarkerGilmore consultants to legal and compliance departments, CEOs and boards across the country. including the recruitment and placement of Advocates-General. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Davis Polk & Waldwell and London-based Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer are some of the most important companies for PepsiCo, Flavell said, noting that the company also relies on mid-market companies for local consultants. I wish I could tell you about some Thomas Edison moments in my first 100 days on the job when I innovated and invented something new and new! I can`t say I did.
But what I would say, after practicing law for 25 years, is that there has been continuous, continuous improvement. You`re constantly finding ways to do things a little faster, a little faster, a little more insightful. Certainly, sharing information and storing knowledge is an important part of what we do, and the things we`ve invested in within the legal team are really about preserving information and enabling a more efficient workflow. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are external online distributors of ALM`s extensive collection of current and archived versions of legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law clients may access and use ALM content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, New York Law Journal and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information. Yawman is twice chairman of the board of United Way of Westchester and Putnam counties, and was previously chairman of the board of directors of the Pro Bono Partnership, which provides free legal services to nonprofits in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. License our cutting-edge legal content to strengthen your thought leadership and brand. The Advocate General must eventually become master of various vectors of influence. When I look north, I see a CEO, a board of directors and shareholders, and I have to influence them on the things that matter most to them. When I look south, I lead several functions, and I have to make sure that there are the right talents and skills and that I can develop the team both individually and globally. In the West, I see my colleagues, and whether it`s the head of human resources or the CFO, I need to be able to understand their perspectives on things in order to work together.
In the East, I see many outside parties, from government officials to NGOs, competitors and industry groups, which I also have to involve myself. Last year, we conducted a rigorous survey that we sent to our external counsel to get a sense of their commitment to diversity and inclusion. The firms provided us with information such as the diversity profile of their U.S.-based lawyers, the diversity of their partnership broken down between participating and non-participating partners; who was the PEP partner; who has been assigned to PepsiCo partners; And so on. The survey also included several narrative questions to examine the substance of the company`s diversity recruitment and retention initiatives. Last December, we recognized the top ten companies for their diversity efforts, giving them additional opportunities to grow their relationships with us. In addition, companies interested in advocating for emerging issues are invited to complete the diversity survey. Prior to becoming General Counsel in 2017, David held various positions at PepsiCo, including Senior Advisor, Director of Ethics and Compliance and General Counsel for North America. David Flavell will assume the role of General Counsel and Secretary General from March. He will no longer hold the position of Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer once he becomes General Counsel.
The Advocate General must eventually become master of various vectors of influence. Tony West, deputy attorney general and general counsel, has a long history of diversity — he led the constitutional review of the Defense of Marriage Act and helped shape the Obama administration`s approach to same-sex marriage. He shares the benefits of his experience and how he uses it to improve diversity and inclusion within PepsiCo and the profession as a whole. PepsiCo`s top position has changed hands five times in the past decade. Yawman assumed his current role as head of PepsiCo`s global legal, compliance and ethics functions in November 2017. During his more than two decades with the company, he has held positions such as overseeing global government affairs and public policy, as well as senior vice president and deputy general counsel of PepsiCo and general counsel for North America and the company. Mr. Flavell is currently Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer of the Company. He succeeds Dave Yawman, who is leaving PepsiCo after more than 22 years to pursue other interests. Yawman will remain until Flavell takes up his new role to help with the transition.
Bloomberg Law reported last year on the departure of PepsiCo`s former global head of ethics and compliance, Lynn Haaland, who joined Zoom Video Communications Inc. as deputy general counsel and chief compliance and ethics officer. Flavell, his successor as general counsel, spent the last decade at PepsiCo, working at the company`s headquarters in Purchase, New York, and in offices in Dallas and Dubai. He also supervised the legal work of Frito-Lay, a food processing subsidiary. At the announcement, Robert Barker, Managing Partner of BarkerGilmore, noted that Yawman`s extensive experience adds another dimension for clients looking to get the most out of their employees and take their business to the next level. “Dave represents the highest level of in-house counsel. His exceptional skills in positioning and structuring legal and compliance services to support business objectives will expand BarkerGilmore`s service offering. Dave has advised PepsiCo`s senior executives, board members, executives and teams at all levels, and his expertise in leadership development, executive coaching and improving team dynamics speaks for itself.
With his proven track record of delivering improved solutions and exceptional results, he will be invaluable in helping BarkerGilmore`s clients optimize their organizations and increase revenue. “I wake up every day at 4:30 a.m. and think, `How can I beat my competitors?` I am very competitive, as are our lawyers. – Bradley Gayton, General Counsel, Ford Motor Company. Olga Mack, general counsel of ClearSlide, paved the way from Ukraine to Silicon Valley. A strong advocate for diversity and inclusion – particularly for women in leadership positions – she sat down with GC to share her experience working with start-ups and small businesses to foster rootedness in diversity. The Coca-Cola Co., a competitor of PepsiCo, announced this summer the hiring of a new general counsel in Bradley Gayton, who will step down on September 1. He joined the company in September. PepsiCo`s in-house lawyers often deal with a range of legal issues, such as packaging, nutrition labeling and climate issues, Yawman said.
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