Amy Tu. Free (Handout).

Amy Tu, chief counsel for global law affairs at The Boeing Co. is moving over to head up the legal department at Tyson Foods Inc., according to an announcement from Tyson Thursday.

The Springdale, Arkansas-based food company will bring Tu onboard Dec. 11 to serve as EVP and general counsel, replacing David Van Bebber, a Tyson Foods veteran who joined the company in 1986 and became GC in 2008. Van Bebber will stay with the company into May of next year to see the transition through.

Tu, who will report to the company's CEO Tom Hayes, has a deep well of experience to draw from, particularly in the international arena.

“Amy is a proven executive whose extensive legal and corporate governance expertise is an excellent addition to our leadership team,” said Tom Hayes in the announcement of Tu's hire. “Her breadth of global legal experience supporting business leaders and functions across a multinational corporation will be a tremendous asset as we continue to execute our growth strategy.”

Tu was not available for comment and Tyson Foods declined to comment on her hire beyond the initial announcement.

The new Tyson general counsel began her career as a Merrill Lynch financial analyst, according to her LinkedIn profile. She got her first legal department jobs with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and then Gap Inc.— serving as international counsel at both companies.

Tu joined Boeing in 2001 as assistant corporate secretary and counsel for mergers & acquisitions, finance and governance. She moved up from there, holding jobs that helped keep Boeing running across the globe, including as regional counsel in London, where she oversaw commercial and defense in Europe as well as in Russia and Israel.

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