General Mills announced that it has hired Karen Wilson Thissen as its general counsel and corporate secretary effective June 6.

Thissen comes to the company after spending 17 years at Ameriprise Financial, where she most recently served as general counsel and executive vice president. Thissen began her legal career at Faegre & Benson in the business litigation group and became a partner during her 11 years at the firm.

“Karen brings a proven track record of strategic thinking and global experience which is critical for General Mills’ continued success,” said Jeff Harmening, chairman and CEO of General Mills. “As we continue to advance our growth, Karen’s sophisticated global legal experience will help move us forward across the many geographies we are honored to serve.” 

The legal search firm Major, Lindsey & Africa said it led the search that placed Thissen in the General Mills role. 

Here were some other recent GC hiring announcements: 

Podium

The communication and payments platform for local businesses announced it has hired Mariam Sattar as its first general counsel.

Sattar comes to Podium from Twilio, where she was vice president of legal, corporate. She also previously served as senior corporate counsel at Atlassian and as a senior director, associate general counsel at Trulia.

“Mariam is an accomplished lawyer, leader, and strategist,” Podium CEO Eric Rea said. “Her leadership experience and extensive understanding of the legal environment will accelerate Podium's ability to serve many more local businesses in this next phase of our growth."

Pace University

The New York-based university announced it has named Alexis Sandler its vice president and general counsel.

Before joining Pace, Sandler served for nearly a decade as in-house counsel for The Museum of Modern Art and its contemporary art museum affiliate, MoMA PS1. Sandler also previously worked as the director of business and legal affairs for a division of the Fox Entertainment Group and in private practice for Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and what is now Hogan Lovells. 

“Alexis Sandler is a seasoned professional and accomplished attorney who understands our core mission and philosophy of creating opportunities for a diverse student body,” said Pace University President Marvin Krislov.

International Paper

The global supplier of renewable fiber-based products announced that Joseph Saab has been elected senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary effective July 1.

Saab has worked at the International Paper Association since 2001, most recently as vice president, deputy general counsel and assistant corporate secretary. His responsibilities in that role have included enterprise corporate law and operational excellence, as well as overseeing support for and advising the board of directors.

"Throughout his time with IP, Joe has proven himself to be an effective and capable leader," said International Paper Chairman and CEO Mark Sutton. "I have every confidence that he will provide the legal expertise and leadership we need as he takes on this new role and joins our senior lead team."

Cubic Corporation

The San Diego-based transportation and defense corporation announced it has appointed Matt Luxton as senior vice president and general counsel.

Luxton comes to Cubic from General Dynamics, where he held multiple leadership roles. He most recently served as vice president and general counsel; safety & security for General Dynamics Electric Boat.

“Matt’s diverse portfolio of experience across multiple domains, strong technical and financial skills coupled with legal acumen makes him an asset to Cubic,” said Stevan Slijepcevic, Cubic’s president and CEO.