Kelly Mahon Tullier, executive vice president and general counsel of Visa.Women, Influence & Power in Law 2019: Kelly Mahon Tullier
Our 2019 special report honors women who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in law.
December 02, 2019 at 01:00 AM
3 minute read
Name: Kelly Mahon Tullier
Category: In-House: Banking & Finance
Firm/Company: Visa Inc.
Title: General Counsel
Time in Position: Since 2014
What was your route to the top?
I started with a federal clerkship, and then joined Baker Botts as an associate in intellectual property. After a few years in private practice, I joined PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division as an entry-level trademark lawyer, and worked my way up to become Frito-Lay's general counsel in 2004. I then moved to Dubai to be general counsel for the Asia, Middle East and Africa Division of PepsiCo, which required me to live on an Emirates plane for a few years. After a few years overseas, I became deputy general counsel for PepsiCo in Purchase, New York. In 2014, I moved to Visa as general counsel.
What keeps you up at night?
Digital payments is very innovative, fast-moving and evolving in many ways. As a result, every day brings a wide variety of extremely interesting and challenging business, legal and regulatory issues.
But given what we lawyers do for a living, there are always things that can keep you up at night. I do my best to let it all go at the end of the day; things always seem easier in the morning.
What is the best leadership advice you've given or received, and why do you think it was effective?
I am big on empowerment. I believe that great performers are like trees. They need a lot of oxygen and a little bit of water to thrive. Give your team members a lot of room to do their best work and always be there when they need you. Make sure they are in the room when it matters. Your value as a leader is reflected in the strength of your team, and there is nothing more important than enabling their success.
At this point in my career, I am most proud of our legal and compliance team at Visa. They are delivering amazing results and are broadly recognized for how much they impact our business.
Looking back, what do you wish you had known when you started out in the legal profession?
On the positive side, in the very beginning, I did not realize that a career in law can also be so business-oriented. I often say that our team is full of great business people who happen to be lawyers too. Bringing law and business together makes for an incredibly rewarding and interesting career.
On the less than positive side, lawyers work really hard. We work long hours and our work is often very intense. I am not sure that would have changed my direction, but I thought it would get a little easier after 25-plus years.
What is the most valuable career advice anyone has ever given you? It is OK to do something other than work.
Taking a vacation, spending time with family or playing golf will recharge your batteries and can actually make you more valuable. It took me a long time to get that.
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